The Way We Get By
by Emily.J.Allen
Summary: Evelyn Moore had fallen into a monotonous routine at a mundane job. That was until an old friend dragged her into the war effort, delivering her into an exciting and dangerous new life, and into the path of a particularly spirited inventor, businessman and all-round annoyance.
1. Chapter 1

January 21st, 1942

I tugged my heavy wool coat tighter around my shoulders, shrugging the fur collar higher up my neck in an attempt to shelter my bare skin from the prickling morning wind that whipped through the city streets. As much as I despised being up and about this early, especially in this particularly unforgiving weather, there was something about the tranquil silence that shrouded the city at this hour that I savoured as my heels tapped rhythmically against the paving stones. A gentle gust of wind loosened a stray hair from its neat chignon, the small wisp of blonde fluttering across my face and obstructing my view for a moment. I huffed at the thought of my hard work being so easily undone, carefully tucking the stray hair back into place as best as I could whilst I continued to walk. Under any other circumstances, I would have scoffed at the idea of trudging through the streets of London at this ungodly hour, however, there were a very small number of people in this world that I just could not say no to. This list was extremely short and extended no further than to my mother and father, my little sister, big brother, and Peggy Carter. She was the only person outside of my family that I would bend over backwards for, even if it inconvenienced me. This unwavering loyalty is what led to my current sorry state of affairs, skidding along the icy pavements on my way to what was a suitably bizarre location, more than likely to be informed of something that I wouldn't be best pleased with. I steadied myself for the hundredth time with the assistance of a nearby lamppost as I barely refrained from tumbling to the floor in what would be the most un-lady-like manner, something which I would like to readily avoid if at all possible, most notably due to my wearing a skirt today.

"Need a hand?" An amused voice called out to me from a nearby doorway, a musical chuckle following their question. I rolled my eyes once I regained my footing, glaring towards the sound and blowing a puff of air at the rogue hair that had once again escaped from its pins.

"Pipe down Carter," I grumbled as I cleared the space between us, offering a frown in passing as I entered the building through the door she was propping open. The building was quiet, a small office like area filled the visible space, completely empty bar the two of us. I glanced curiously at my friend as she silently gestured to me to follow her, leading the way through a doorway near the back and along a dark hallway.

"I'll be very upset with you if you're leading me back here to kill me..." I commented, attempting to bring a little humour to the bizarre situation, despite my concerns. She laughed quietly in response, coming to a stop in front of a door, which she promptly unlocked and opened.

"I think we both know that you wouldn't make it that easy," She grinned towards me, an expression I shared as I entered the room behind her with a chuckle, "But don't worry, I just needed somewhere private to talk to you."

"And you couldn't have just popped round to mine for tea and privacy?" I sighed, sliding my coat off my shoulders and dropping into the nearest chair, glad for a rest after my tiring and somewhat traumatic walk here.

"This is a little too confidential for a casual chit-chat over a cup of tea, I needed somewhere out of the way due to the files I have to show you," She explained, dropping a large pile of manila folders onto the desk in front of us. I glanced at her curiously before turning my attention to the files, grabbing one from the top of the pile and flicking it open. I was greeted with a number of ominous sounding code-words I wasn't in the loop with and a vast array of photographs and sketches that I also had no clue about. From my limited insight and brief scan of the papers, I could just about dissect that the file contained a worryingly limited amount of information about a Nazi deep science division that appeared to be named 'Hydra'. I placed the file to the side, choosing a different one and getting started scanning its information. Peggy remained silent beside me as I studied the pages, allowing me some time to discern what I could by myself before filling in the blanks. From what I could see, this file pertained to something called 'Project Rebirth', however once again the details were limited. Why these files were so heavily classified was beyond me, I'd worked for the SOE for a number of years and code breaking was one of my fortes, yet even I couldn't work out what on earth these files were trying to tell me. I slapped the paper down onto the desk with a sigh, lounging back in my chair and turning my attention to the woman beside me, who had been watching me carefully.

"I'm going to need a bit of help here Peg," I raised my eyebrows as she shot one of her dazzling smiles in my direction.

"You've always said how your potential is squandered at the SOE, how you're destined for better things..." She quoted my own words, adding a dramatic flair to the re-telling as she gathered the files back into a neat pile, keeping the second file that I'd read in her grasp.

"You know Peggy, sometimes your vague and mysterious tendencies leave me just about ready to throttle you, so if I were you I'd skip the riddles and get to the point very quickly." I groaned, my threat laced with humour as I smirked.

"I'm working on a little project and I need some help..." her words were once again cryptic and threaded with riddles, something I had grown used to over our years of friendship, "How would you like a change of career?"

June 3rd, 1942

The sun peeked above the horizon, bathing the land in a warm orange glow as another day began. However, this wasn't going to be just any old day, and this fact had my stomach in knots. I wasn't usually one to get nervous, but there was a war going on and my sudden change in circumstances had painted an anxious shade over my thoughts. I found myself thankful for the brisk morning air which whistled through the partially open window as my transport sped across the New Jersey countryside towards camp Lehigh, where I would be situated for the next few weeks, perhaps months. I closed my eyes to the suns' early rays, allowing the gentle warmth it offered to spread across my cheeks. The pleasantly warm weather of New Jersey had offered a welcome break from the cold and rainy excuse of a summer that London had to offer. I hadn't heard an awful lot from Peggy over the last couple of weeks, which I assumed meant she was very busy as usual. However, she had contacted me briefly to explain my travel details and to express how excited she was that we'd be working together once again. It had been a while since we'd worked together, with Peggy running off to some new mystery job of which she could never divulge details. All I had known was that she would disappear for a period of time, only to reappear as the same old put-together Peggy to the untrained eye. I, however, knew that woman better than she knew herself, easily noticing the exhaustion in her dark bronze eyes and the way she often stared wistfully into the distance when she thought nobody was looking. Of course, I'd recently been let in on the big secret, discovering that Peggy had been recruited by the Strategic Scientific Reserve, or the SSR for short, and the times she had disappeared she had likely been off risking her life on some treacherous mission in some foreign country. Of course, as her best friend, I'd been less than pleased to hear that she had been placing herself in such risky situations, however, as her colleague and respecting equal, I knew she could handle herself and that if anyone was capable of the job, it was her. A sudden giddiness swirled in my stomach as I remembered why I was here, still basking in the pride and excitement of being handpicked to join the SSR and a specialised team leading a revolutionary project. Of course, I'd come greatly recommended by Peggy which I'm sure had ensured my place on the team, though according to her it was my impressive background with the SOE and the remarkable set of skills I possessed that had sealed the deal.

I straightened in my seat as the barracks of Camp Lehigh came into view, igniting yet another burst of anxiety and excitement. I took a deep breath as we sped through the gates, the car rolling to a stop outside what looked like the main building of the camp. I peered out of the window, spotting the soldiers grudgingly beginning their early morning routines, a few of them chancing a glance in the direction of the car out of curiosity.

"Agent Moore," the driver called my attention to him, offering a polite smile before continuing, "Agent Carter requested that you meet her outside the medical station, which is just through the middle of those two buildings there, and to the right." He explained whilst pointing towards the two closest buildings, offering me some much-needed direction before hopping out of his door and making his way to my side, opening my door for me before standing back.

"No need to worry about your things, they'll be taken to your room for you." I smiled gratefully, offering my thanks as I stepped out of the car, suddenly aware of a large number of eyes that had shot in my direction. I straightened out my skirt and took a breath, allowing myself the ghost of a smirk before rolling my eyes and heading in the direction I had been told. I was painfully aware that eyes still followed me, receiving a number of whistles and words of appreciation as I made my way past a particularly raucous group of soldiers. I sighed internally at their poor efforts to draw my attention, choosing to ignore the majority of them as I passed. I'd always been aware that my looks drew the men to me, never being short of company at the dance halls, yet I'd never felt the urge to indulge any of my potential suitors. My mother always said I was far too picky for my own good, something which I had taken as a compliment rather than the criticism she had intended. While other women may be happy to settle with the first man who makes her heart flutter, I knew my worth and would never be willing to give myself to any man who saw me as any less. I was halted in my tracks as a particularly confident soldier partially blocked my path, leaning casually against the wall beside us.

"What on earth is a beautiful dame such as yourself doing in a place like this?" He questioned with a smirk, an unmistakable southern drawl to his words and a clear pleasure at what he thought was an extremely complimentary statement. I didn't miss the way his eyes roamed slowly over my body before settling back on my face. I plastered a sweet smile on my lips, taking a small step closer and batting my eyelashes for added effect before speaking.

"What's your name soldier?" I slowed my words, raising the tone of my voice in the same way I'd seen many girls shameless do when talking to men, hoping to appear more feminine and gain their attention.

"Private William Anderson," He answered with a smug grin, convinced he had won my favour with the few short words we had exchanged. "That sure is a pretty accent you got there Queenie." I released a soft chuckle, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear before shooting him a half-hearted frown, a smirk still present on my lips.

"My name isn't Queenie," I commented, internally fighting the urge to punch him whilst retaining my calm and flirtatious exterior.

"Oh yeah? Then what should I call ya?" the smug grin hadn't slipped from his lips throughout our whole conversation, and his amusement was mirrored by the men who watched on in curiosity, eager to see how the exchange would unfold. I allowed myself my own smug smirk before taking a step back and regaining my air of professionalism.

"Agent Evelyn Moore," my voice had lost all its previous coquetry. The revelation that I was an agent, and therefore most certainly much higher ranking than him had startled the soldier as he pushed himself off the wall and adopted a much more professional stance. "You'd do well to remember that Private Anderson." He swallowed thickly as he offered a quick nod, much to the delight of his fellow soldiers who still watched on from the side lines.

"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am." He spoke quickly, clearly embarrassed as he readily avoided eye contact. He remained frozen in front of me, unsure of what to do in the situation. I raised an eyebrow, releasing a sigh as I shook my head in despair.

"Don't you have somewhere to be Private?" My words seemed to jolt him back to life as he nodded, quickly turning on his heel and returning to the rest of the group who had all dissolved into laughter at his embarrassing failure of an attempt at flirting. Thoroughly amused by my first encounter at the camp, I continued on my way, eventually spotting Peggy waiting patiently on a nearby bench, her hands tapping at her thighs where they rested on her lap. I couldn't help the grin that stretched across my lips at seeing her, picking up my pace in order to reach her sooner. She pulled me into a tight hug when I got there, just as pleased to see me as I was her.

"My god Eve am I glad to have you here," she groaned placing a hand on my shoulder and rolling her eyes, "The level of testosterone and male grandeur in this place is close to pushing me over the edge." I broke out in an unrestrained laugh, completely understanding what she meant just from the brief time I had been here.

"Honestly Peg, I'm surprised you haven't shot anyone yet, I've only been here five minutes and I'm already tempted."

"Trust me I've considered it, though I think even I wouldn't get away with that." We continued our conversation, airing all our gripes concerning the soldiers and joking about how we'd have to kick them into shape ourselves if they carried on. I wasn't sure where we were going but we had passed through the medical station and out the other side, now heading towards a different building that stood close by. I began to feel nervous again as we approached the building, obviously nearing our destination. I chewed on my lip anxiously as I passed through the doors and into a dimly lit hallway, reminiscent of the small office Peggy had led me to when she had divulged the secrets of the SSR to me. Noticing my apprehension, she ground to a halt, placing a comforting hand on my arm and offering a small smile.

"Eve, I know that look but you don't have anything to be nervous about, you're here for a reason and honestly you're ten times for qualified than most of the men here." I nodded with a shrug, eliciting a laugh from my friend as I wholeheartedly agreed with her statement. "Just go in there and show them what you're made of, give them the confident, sure-of-herself Eve that I know and love. Plus, you have to hold it together, they can smell fear."

With that, she released me from her grasp and gave the door behind her a sharp knock. A muffled voice called out something I couldn't quite hear, but I assumed it was our invitation in as Peggy turned the handle and swung the door open to reveal three men, scanning over a variety of files and information. I took a deep breath, calling upon every last bit of confidence I could muster before following Peggy into the room. At our arrival, the three men turned their attention away from their work and up to us, my confidence faltering for no more than a millisecond before I had regained it, feeling positively fearless.

"Agent Carter." One of the men addressed her with a nod, his noticeably German accent betraying his nationality, before turning his attention to me. "And you must be Agent Moore, it's a pleasure to finally have you here, my name is Doctor Erskine." He rounded the table, crossing the room with his hand outstretched to me. I took it gladly with a firm shake and a polite smile.

"It's lovely to meet you, Doctor Erskine," He seemed pleased with my polite introduction, retreating back to his earlier position beside the other men.

"Evelyn, this is Colonel Phillips, director of the SSR and the commanding officer around here," Peggy began, gesturing towards the man sitting at the centre of the desk, an air of authority and what appeared to be mild displeasure surrounding him. I offered him only a nod, sensing that anything more might constitute crossing a personal space line in his opinion. "And this is..." Peggy began to introduce the final member of our company but was quickly cut off as he opted to introduce himself.

"Howard Stark," His lips stretched into a lopsided grin as he passed Peggy swiftly and gracefully, coming to a stop before me. He stretched out his hand to mine, and while I was reluctant to offer my far too innocent hand to the comparably non-innocent and notorious flirt Howard Stark, the polite disposition I had been raised with urged me to respond in like. I found myself thoroughly unsurprised when instead of shaking my hand he twisted it gently in his, raising it to his lips and placing a chaste kiss on the back, adding a playful wink before releasing me. "It's a pleasure to meet you Agent Evelyn Moore." He said my name slowly, as though he was savouring the words on his lips. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't the type of girl to fall for his well practiced charm, remaining the perfect example of professionalism as I returned my hand to my side.

"And you Mr Stark," I responded simply, more than ready to escape his advances and get to work.

"Please, call me Howard." He added with a devilish grin, unperturbed by my less than amiable response before turning on his heel and claiming one of the seats opposite the desk. He lounged back arrogantly, looking just as pleased with himself as Private Anderson had before I'd knocked him down a peg. Perhaps that's what I'd have to do here too, I'd take any opportunity to teach a man just how competent a woman could be. I swear I noticed a minuscule eye roll from Peggy as he pat her on the shoulder in passing, referring to her simply as 'Peg'. My attention was distracted when I heard a low mumble emanating from Colonel Phillips, grumbling about how it was unnecessary to add an inexperienced woman to the team. I ground my teeth together, my fists clenching at my sides before I relaxed them, sucking in a frustrated breath and ignoring the apologetic glance Peggy had shot me.

"I apologise if I'm speaking out of turn Colonel Phillips, but I don't believe inexperienced is quite the right word to describe me," I began, drawing the attention of the room, acknowledging a proud and expectant smirk from Peggy before continuing, "While I may not have stepped foot on an army barracks in my life before today, I am far from inexperienced. I've worked as a codebreaker for the SOE for a number of years, in my time there also acquiring an arsenal of weapons and hand to hand combat training. I speak five languages and excelled in a number of studies, both academic and practical, including, but not limited to, advanced molecular physics, clinical psychology and mechanical engineering." I paused for a moment, my anxiety dissipating in place of annoyance. A smile spread across Doctor Erskine's face and I noticed from the corner of my eye that Howard had raised an eyebrow in what I could only describe as sheer pride. "I'd hate to see what an experienced woman could do around here."

Silence fell amongst the group, broken only by a low whistle from Howard Stark who watched me with an amazed curiosity, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. I felt panic rise in my chest as Colonel Phillips assessed me with hawk like eyes. _My god Evelyn what were you thinking, you don't talk like that to the director of the SSR, that's a one track path to losing your job. At least you haven't unpacked yet, you idiot_. I mentally chastised myself, preparing for the imminent lecture I was most likely about to face, followed by my dismissal and disappointing return to London. However, much to my surprise the reprimand I was expecting never came. Instead, the ghost of a smile threatened to grace the Colonel's lips.

"I am well aware of your vast skill set, Agent Moore... I look forward to seeing what you're capable of." He stated simply, earning the surprise of the room as he sent me a respectful nod before addressing both myself and Peggy. "You are dismissed, I want you both out on the training field at oh eight hundred hours, ready to kick these worthless boys into shape."

"Yes, Colonel." Peggy and I responded in unison, a weight lifting as I turned on my feet to exit the room, keen to push the entire memory of what had happened to the back of my mind. The door was just swinging shut behind me when I heard another low whistle, presumably from Howard, followed by a quiet statement that I just managed to catch.

"What a gal."

* * *

 **Hi! Firstly, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please let me know if you did (or if you didn't) as I love a bit of feedback and constructive criticism. Uploading of this story will most likely be slow progress as I'm a useless human being, though I promise it will be worth it :) I have many ideas for this story and would love to know that someone is enjoying it! Next chapter should be up soon!**

 **\- E.H.**


	2. Chapter 2

The morning arrived far too fast, the shrill ringing of Peggy's alarm clock resonating throughout the room and dragging me from the sweet serenity of sleep. My body felt heavy as I raised my hands to rub at my sleep impaired eyes, a groan rumbling in my throat as I slowly became accustomed to the early morning rays that filtered through the curtains.

"Good morning Evelyn," Peggy sang in a far too chipper voice for the early hour, earning her a stern glare before I flopped back onto my pillow.

"Five more minutes, I beg of you," She laughed at my melodramatic performance, choosing to completely ignore my pleas and instead, toss a pillow in my direction before fervently tearing the sheets off my body.

"Get up Eve, we have a lot of work to do today," She explained with a frown, disregarding the childish pout I was sending her. She must have been up for a while already, as I noticed that she was already dressed, donning the same olive green jacket and matching skirt that I had found laid out on my bed the previous night. I completely understood that this was the army, and not a fashion show, but you'd think they could have outfitted us with something slightly more flattering. I'd never been one of those girls who dressed to catch the attention of men, preferring to simply look good for my own benefit, and while I wasn't opposed to dressing comfortably, I was much more at home with a pretty dress and a slick of lipstick. Begrudgingly, I rolled from my bed, my legs tangling in the soft sheets which now hung haphazardly onto the floor and sent me tumbling ungracefully to the ground alongside them. I ignored the burst of laughter that erupted from my roommate, dragging myself to my feet, grabbing the ghastly olive ensemble and quickly excusing myself to the bathroom to freshen up and dress for the day.

Considering there was no need for makeup or too fancy a hairstyle, it took me a record time to get ready, leaving the bathroom only five minutes after I entered. I had opted to disregard the issued tie that Peggy wore, hanging it beside the sink and instead, popping open the top button of my blouse before tugging the matching olive V-neck sweater over my head, and attaching my SSR pin to the front. This may be the army but I wasn't a prude, I couldn't see an issue with adding my own personal touch to the uniform. I noticed Peggy waiting patiently for me to finish, adjusting the pins in her hair as I gathered up my things. I'd pulled my blonde hair back into a neat bun which sat at the nape of my neck, allowing a small strand to escape and hang at my cheek where it fell into a loose curl. I was almost finished when I made a snap decision, rummaging through my bag and pulling out a small gold tube. I ignored Peggy's unamused roll of her eyes as I applied a neat slick of red to my lips, blowing my reflection a small kiss before replacing the lipstick back in my bag. After smoothing down my hair and my skirt, apparently far too many times for Peggy's liking, she grabbed my arm and ushered me from the room, preferring to be early rather than late. She explained how the day would play out as we walked, refreshing what she had told me the night before along with a few quips about how these men didn't know what they had coming to them.

The men were already lined up by the time we reached the field, the drill sergeant doing a splendid job of keeping them in check, ready for our arrival. I thanked the drill sergeant as he handed me a folder, which I realised as I opened it, contained a brief sheet on each of the candidates in the line. I flicked through it as we walked, Peggy shooting me a reassuring yet devilish smile as we approached, bathing herself in an air of authority, which I quickly and easily reflected.

"Recruits, attention!" She called out to the men, each of them falling into line and standing to attention at the sound of her authoritative voice. "Gentlemen, I'm Agent Carter and this is Agent Moore. We supervise all operations for this division." She introduced us quickly, giving a brief overview of our role as we strolled along the line.

"What's with the accent Queen Victoria?" I smirked as one of the recruits commented on the British inflexion to her voice, eager to see what wonderfully brilliant response Peggy would have to the snarky comment. She turned to him, eyebrows raised in amusement as he continued, "Thought I was signing up for the U.S. army."

"What's your name soldier?" She asked coolly, turning and coming to a stop directly in front of him.

"Gilmore Hodge, your majesty." I bit my lip to conceal the snicker that was threatening to escape, watching the events unfold in silence.

"Forward Hodge," Peggy ordered the soldier, remaining the perfect example of indifference as he practically swaggered forward, his head held high as he decreased the space between them. "Put your right foot forward." She instructed. I vaguely heard Hodge mumble something else, most likely another sarcastic and insulting comment which he hoped would regain him some modicum of control. However, his words proved to be the least interesting part of the situation when Peggy promptly silenced him, swinging her arm back and dealing a swift punch directly at his nose. A few of the men in the line chuckled, as did I along with them while Peggy retained her calm and collected demeanour, not so much as flinching as the man fell to his knees clutching his nose.

"Agent Carter, Agent Moore," a familiarly gruff voice called from behind us where a car had just pulled up, Colonel Phillips stepping out of the vehicle and making his way towards the group.

"Colonel Phillips," Peggy turned and offered a salute, a gesture which I quickly mirrored, greeting the Colonel myself to which I received a curt nod of acknowledgement.

"I can see that you are breaking in the candidates, that's good." He praised the woman as he passed her, before turning his attention to the soldier who still hadn't managed to pull himself to his feet. "Get your ass up out of that dirt and stand in that line of attention till somebody comes and tells you what to do." Hodge responded with a slightly muffled 'yes sir' followed by a sniff as he attempted to stem the blood that dripped from his nose.

"How about you Agent Moore, managed to get in a few punches yet?" The Colonel briefly turned his head to face me as he spoke, a smile fighting for a place on his lips as the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Not yet Sir, but the day is still young," I responded cheerfully, flashing a dazzling yet devious smirk towards the recruits, managing to coax a flicker of a smile from Peggy as she fought to remain professional. I'd never been the professional type, finding I could just as easily get my work done in a way that truly reflected myself and my personality, whilst still preserving control. Whilst Peggy was a lot of fun at times, she was often very straight and narrow, with a slightly stuffy air surrounding her. Peggy's description of me was the opposite, often describing me as an 'irritatingly bubbly ball of mischievous energy', something which she seemed to both love and hate about me. Whilst I intended to hold a proper authority over the men in this division, I'd be doing it in my own way, rather than donning a daily mask of impassiveness.

"General Patton has said, that wars are fought with weapons but they are won by men, we are going to win this war because we have the best... men... and because they are going to get better... much better." The Colonels' motivational speech faltered for a second as his attention turned to a particularly scrawny looking recruit, who despite clearly picking up on the hesitance in the Colonel's voice, remained aloof as he stared directly ahead.

I flipped open the folder, flicking through the sheets of information before finding his photo in the top right of a file towards the bottom of the pile. Steve Rogers. I committed his name and face to memory, curious to discover how and why he had ended up as a part of this programme, considering his medical history. I'd have to keep an eye on this one. Colonel Phillips continued with his speech as Peggy and I observed the recruits from the side lines, eager to get down to training and see what these men were made of. There was no doubt that it was going to be a long day.

A sigh escaped me as I practically collapsed onto the bench beside Peggy, dropping my tray onto the table with a clatter.

"What on earth did that poor tray ever do to you?" Peggy joked, nudging my side with her elbow.

"Presented me with this disappointing excuse of a lunch, that's what." I grumbled, shooting a glare towards the unappetising ration that sat before me.

"Oh, stop complaining, it's better than starving." She waved away my complaints, tucking into her own meal with just a flicker of a frown.

"I'm not so sure about that." I prodded at the pink lump that vaguely resembled meat, grimacing at the thought of attempting to stomach it. As much as the indistinguishable slop made my stomach turn, it had been a long morning and the low rumble that radiated from my belly gave me little choice. I forced down the first mouthful with difficulty, gradually growing used to the dish as I progressed through it.

"What the hell is that?" A voice asked across from us. I dropped my fork, gladly turning my attention away from the food and towards our guest. I quickly decided that perhaps the food had been slightly more appealing than what met my eye. Howard Stark scanned the contents of our trays, his nose slightly crinkled in disgust. I narrowed my eyes at him before grinning and scooping up a hearty fork full of the food.

"It's a delicious pile of mystery meat, would you like a taste?" I waved the fork in front of his face, laughing as he leaned away, pushing the food back towards me with a groan.

"The day that touches my lips is the day hell freezes over." He argued, eyeing the dish warily. I rolled my eyes, dropping the fork back onto the tray and opting instead to eat the apple beside it. At least I knew what an apple consisted of.

"There is a war on you know," I explained, frowning in his direction, "We can't all have the luxury of dining on the finest steak and wine." I took a large bite of the apple, raising a brow in his direction as he laughed.

"Is there something you wanted Howard? Or can we eat our lunch in peace?" Peggy chimed in, clearly bored of listening to his complaints.

"Just thought I'd come say hello to my favourite co-workers." He replied with a grin, sending us both a wink, to which he received two irked frowns. We remained silent, offering no response or words to continue the interaction, simply watching him with mild irritation. Eventually he raised his hands, rising from his seat with faux sadness.

"Fine, fine. I know when I'm not welcome." He sighed dramatically, walking around the table to stand between us behind our backs and resting a hand of each of our shoulders. "Enjoy your... meal." He quickly turned his attention to me, his lips pulling into a wide smirk.

"And Evelyn, if you ever fancy some of that finest steak and wine, you are more than welcome to join me for dinner one evening." I brushed his hand from my shoulder, turning to face him with the sweetest smile I could muster.

"I think I'll take my chances with the mystery meat, thank you." My comment didn't seem to faze him in the slightest, only succeeding in eliciting a loud laugh. He patted me on the shoulder before turning and leaving, an amused grin on his face the entire way. I watched him leave, Peggy simply smirking at her tray beside me.

"You know, considering that I've only just met him, I've had a worrying amount of ideas on how to kill him." I mused aloud as Peggy barked out a laugh beside me.

"Let me know when you decide on a method," She commented with a smile, "I'll help you dispose of the body." We quickly descended into laughter and I found myself glad to have her beside me. There wasn't another person in the world who understood me as well as Peggy Carter did. Sometimes I didn't know what on earth I would do without her.

I released a long breath as I hopped up onto the low wall surrounding the camp, crossing my ankles over each other and leaning back onto my hands. I had definitely been right about one thing, today was excruciatingly long. In order to get a good idea of what we were dealing with, the recruits had been put through a gruelling days fitness and training. Admittedly, the day wasn't as long and tiring for me as it had been for the candidates, however standing around in the midday sun intermittently yelling at them had sure taken it out of me. I'd been strolling around the camp for around twenty minutes before I'd found this spot, glad to finally earn some peace and quiet away from everyone. I allowed myself a small smile as I stared out over the fields that stretched far into the distance ahead of me, internally praising myself for discovering such a lovely spot to relax. The quiet and distant chatter between the soldiers and staff at the camp could be heard behind me, the wind carrying their barely audible laughter and conversation in my direction but falling into mostly background noise as I filtered it out. The sun was busy on its descent towards the earth, just beginning to dip below the horizon when my tranquillity was shattered by a visitor quietly clearing their throat behind me. I sighed softly, waving goodbye to my alone time as I twisted in my seat to regard the person who had so rudely interrupted. I was met with a charmingly confident smirk as my guest took a few steps forward, his hands in the pockets of his perfectly tailored suit trousers. I gave a barely noticeable roll of my eyes before turning away, my attention back to being trained on the rolling hills and sunset.

"Mr Stark," I began, a dispassionate tone to my voice as I actively avoided any eye contact with the man. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Now, I was fully aware that Howard Stark had done nothing to aggrieve me, and therefore I had no reason to be acting in such a cold manner towards him. However, if the rumours were true, which I was fairly certain they were, then his reasons for acting in such an interested manner towards me were most likely far from savoury. My mind drifted back to the day before and the brief time that had been spent in Colonel Phillips office, where I had managed to truly out-do myself in terms of displaying female authority. Each of the men's' responses to my outburst had been something I hadn't really expected, with both amusement yet respect painting their features. But the response I had found most surprising was that of Mr Stark, an expression that I could only attribute to pride and wonder shining through his usual smirk. It had somewhat raised my expectations of him, previously assuming that, due to his heavily publicised dalliances, he would expect nothing more from a woman than a pretty face and a warm body in his bed. I shook myself from my thoughts as he approached the wall, resting his arms against the stone whilst keeping his attention on the view ahead.

"Please, Agent Moore, call me Howard I insist." I nodded in response, accepting his request yet, with my silence, maintaining that he continue to refer to me professionally. "Beautiful evening, don't you think." His quiet comment sparked my curiosity as I glanced down at him, noticing how he gazed pensively into the distance, his usual smirk replaced with an expression of quiet contemplation.

"Quite," I responded softly, not realising I had been watching him closely until he turned his attention back to me, catching my eye and offering a soft smile before I whipped my gaze away from his, fighting off the warm flush of embarrassment that flooded my cheeks.

"Is there something I can help you with Howard? Or are you just here to bother me again?" I queried, shifting the awkwardness of the moment to the side, waiting patiently for his response.

"Not at all, I was just taking a walk when I saw you here, thought you might like some pleasant and quite frankly incredible company," He explained with a grin, the humour in his voice laced with sincerity. I considered his words for a moment before responding.

"Well I'm not sure if I would use the word 'incredible'..." I mused jovially, earning a chuckle followed by an expression of mock offence.

"But you would definitely use the word 'pleasant'...?" his question contained an air of smug pride, which he quickly followed with a wink, eliciting a quiet yet sincere laugh from myself. We fell into a comfortable silence after that, each of us wrapped up in our own thoughts as we observed the scene before us. The sun had now descended lower, half concealed by the hills but still casting a warm glow over the land before us.

"That was pretty impressive you know," Howard began, cutting through the silence and bringing me back to the present. "The way you stood up for yourself yesterday. I can see why Peg recommended you for the job. As well as your frankly extraordinary credentials of course." It was my turn to smirk now, appreciating the praise I was receiving for something that was simply second nature to me.

"It's not easy being a woman in a man's world, Stark. You either stand up for yourself or you allow yourself to be pushed down. I know my worth and I am more than willing to fight for that to be recognised..." I paused for a moment before including a quiet afterthought, "...so thank you for recognising it." He straightened at my words, patting me on the shoulder with a loud laugh and a nod of agreement.

"Well it's kinda hard to ignore when you get all commanding and assertive like that," He joked, yet his words were still serious. "But you're very welcome Evelyn, may I call you Evelyn?" He asked with a grin.

"No." My response was blunt, yet I couldn't fight the smile that tugged at my lips, something which hadn't gone unnoticed to him.

"Well, I'm gonna call you it anyway." I rolled my eyes, batting away his hand which still rested on my shoulder before turning back to the hills, eager to catch the moment when the sun completely retreated below the horizon.

"Who knew you could find such a beautiful view in a place like this." I mused aloud, watching as the last of the sun's rays slipped below the hills, the warm orange glow that had bathed the land dissipating, giving way to the silver shimmers of moonlight.

"You know, I have a view just like this from my bedroom window back home," Howard commented facetiously, pushing himself off the wall and sending me a slightly more flirtatious wink than before. "Perhaps I could show you sometime."

I groaned in despair, swinging my legs over the wall and hopping back onto the grass below, smoothing out my skirt and brushing off the dirt it had accumulated from the bricks.

"And just like that, you've managed to sully a beautiful evening." I commented with a frown, "I think I'll head back to my room now, thank you for your somewhat short-lived pleasant company." I passed him with a swift and indifferent wave, heading back towards my room.

"At least let me walk you back Eve," I frowned at the way he addressed me, using a name which until now had been reserved for family and close friends, though I chose not to comment on it, offering a quick nod in acceptance of his offer as he practically swaggered towards me. It was only a short walk back to the building, which was thankfully spent mostly in silence. I paused as we reached the entrance, turning to my company who greeted me with a much more polite and civilised smile than I had experienced so far. Silence fell between us, a slight air of awkwardness overcoming me as I struggled to work out how to escape to my room in the least rude way possible.

"Thank you for walking me back, I assume I'll be seeing you soon." I finally spoke, breaking the silence and seeming to surprise him slightly as he blinked a few times before acknowledging my words.

"Yes, actually you're in luck, you'll be seeing me tomorrow." He explained with a grin, shoving his hands back in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels.

"Oh? I will?" I was unaware of any arrangement that would result in my having to spend more time with Howard, not being informed of anything of the sort.

"I'll assume you haven't been told yet, as it would be impossible to forget about any time you get to spend with me," I crossed my arms over my chest and ignored his quip, quirking my eyebrow in expectation, prompting him to continue. "Due to your extensive and frankly impressive background in mechanics, I've requested that you accompany me tomorrow and offer your expertise on a problem I'm having some considerable issues with."

"Oh, right, well okay then, I'd be more than happy to help," I smiled, slightly taken aback as yet another bubble of pride burst inside me knowing that my knowledge and ability to assist wasn't being overlooked as it so often had been, but was actually being personally requested, by none other than Howard Stark. He might be an idiot and a flirt, but he was still a genius, and him asking for my help was a great compliment.

"In that case, I suppose I will see you tomorrow."

"We'll be heading out at around nine if that's okay with you?" I responded with a quick nod.

"Nine sounds great."

"Perfect, I'll have the car ready." He grinned, seeming to take it as a personal accomplishment that I had been so positive and in agreement with the arrangement. I turned to leave, grasping the handle of the door and swinging it open, pausing momentarily before entering.

"Goodnight Eve," Howard called out from behind me, once again using the nickname, which surprisingly didn't irritate me as much this time as it had only a few minutes earlier. I glanced over my shoulder, shooting him one of my classic dazzling smiles before replying.

"Goodnight Howard."

 **Thank you for reading! Please please leave a review and let me know what you think, I love and breathe for reviews. I know a lot hasn't happened yet but o promise things will pick up pretty fast, my co-editor can attest to the beauty and excitement that is to come. Once again, thanks, and please review! - E.H.**


	3. Chapter 3

I woke slowly and calmly the next morning. No resounding alarms, no Peggy shaking me to within an inch of my life as I fought against her, clinging to the warm confines of me bed as if my life depended on it. I glanced at the clock noting how early the hour was. It was currently 07:30am, thirty minutes before my alarm was set to sound. A quick scan of the room, the unoccupied bed and the delicate scent of Peggy's daily fragrance in the air, told me that she was already up. Probably off barking orders at a group of terrified recruits on an early morning run. The small window behind me was open a crack, allowing a cool breeze to creep in and sweep across the room, carrying the quiet voices of the soldiers and the delicate songs of the birds in the trees. I closed my eyes with a smile, dropping back onto the pillow and stretching out my tight limbs in preparation for the day ahead of me. Eventually, I slipped out from beneath the covers and shut myself away in the small bathroom, taking my time to thoroughly clean my body and face before focusing on my hair. As I wasn't going to be doing much practical work today I opted to leave it mostly down, just pulling the front away from my face and pinning half of it up, whilst the rest of the soft curls fell freely, sitting just below my collarbone.

I paused for a moment, assessing my face in the mirror before deciding that perhaps even a little makeup couldn't hurt. It was something that had seemed so irrelevant before I'd left England, but had now become a part of my life I sorely missed. Whilst I was appreciative of the opportunity I'd been given, I was markedly less appreciative of the sorry state I looked in most of the time. However, stiletto heels and a full face of makeup was hardly practical in this environment, and something I had been forced to wave goodbye to if I hoped to receive any sort of respect from the men around here. I opted for not much more than a slick of red lipstick and a small coat of mascara, pleased with the way a simple dash of makeup had made my lips look fuller and my eyes wider, revealing just a hint of the real Evelyn. My outfit choice was limited, with very few options offered whilst at the barracks, so I chose to keep it simple with a maroon skirt that pinched in at my waist and flowed to just below my knees, paired with a white blouse. I switched out my drab brown heeled brogues for a slightly prettier pair of burgundy ones to match my lipstick. I exited the bathroom, pausing for a moment in front of our floor length mirror to assess my appearance. A smile stretched across my lips as I straightened my skirt and adjusted my blouse, taking a few steps away before quickly backtracking and popping open another button with a smirk to my reflection, finally pleased with my perfected look. I swept my curls back over my shoulder, my smile replaced by a frown, that was quickly accompanied by an uncomfortable fluttering sensation in my chest as I attempted to convince my brazen inner voice that I had dressed nicely for myself and not, as my mind was suggesting, because I would be spending the day in the company of Howard. Even if I had dressed nicely because of him, it was just because I wanted to look good and feel confident when stepping into a new environment, not in the hopes of any romantic nonsense. Howard was insufferable and I had no interest in impressing him with anything other than my knowledge and mechanical expertise.

 _You keep telling yourself that Eve._ I quickly shook myself from my thoughts when I spotted that my bedside clock was now displaying that it was 08:50 am. Clearly, I had taken a lot longer to get ready than I'd realised, but thankfully I had noticed with enough time to get across the camp to the entrance where I'd be meeting Mr Stark. I clambered over my bed, snatching up the small purse that hung on the bed post before sparing one last glance at myself in the mirror, straightening myself out one more time, then turning and hurrying through the door.

It took me no more than five minutes to get from one side of the camp to the other, my journey time decreased thanks to the shortcuts through buildings that Peggy had introduced me to. Despite only being here for two days, I'd mapped out the barracks in my head quite successfully and was able to easily find my way around already. My step faltered for less than a second as I rounded the corner, a shining maroon convertible Chevrolet standing proudly by the entrance gates, with its owner leaning equally as proudly against its side. Trust Howard Stark to turn up in such an outlandish vehicle, and one that would certainly ruin my hair at that. I laughed internally as I approached, careful not to let it show as I realised that I had unintentionally matched the colours of my outfit with the car, a coincidence I found most amusing.

"Good morning Eve." He greeted with a wide grin, a nod of his head and a wonderfully chipper attitude.

"Good morning Howard," I returned his greeting in like, my eyes scanning over his slightly more casual than usual attire, his jacket removed and slung over his shoulder revealing a grey shirt, maroon tie and suspenders. I laughed again, this time out loud as I realised that it wasn't only his car that I had unintentionally matched.

"That colour suits you," he commented with a wink, gesturing towards the varying shades of red that adorned my body, as though he had read my mind, "much more than that drab olive they have you all wearing around here."

"I must say that I wholeheartedly agree." I laughed in response, pointing towards his tie, "it suits you too... and the car." I turned towards the automobile, inspecting its shining paint and beautiful craftsmanship.

"She's gorgeous." I remarked, running my hand over the chrome detailing along the door, my attention focused on the vehicle rather than my company.

"Isn't she just." He replied quietly whilst, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, keeping his gaze locked on me. I turned my attention back to him, offering a shy smile in an attempt to mask the nervous fluttering that had erupted in my stomach. Silence fell in the space between us as we quietly watched each other for what felt like an eternity but must have only been seconds, before I broke the silence with a quiet cough.

"Shall we?" I suggested, twisting my purse strap in my fingers awkwardly.

"Of course." He grinned, appearing completely un-phased by our uncomfortable moment of silence and coolly swinging the passenger door open for me. He stepped back with the door, waving his hand and gesturing for me to take a seat, which I did with a quiet word of thanks. He closed the door gently behind me before circling the front of the car and hopping into the driver's seat, bringing the engine rumbling to life and pressing down on the pedal, sending us speeding out of Camp Lehigh's gates and off through the winding country roads.

As I had predicted, the open top of the car wasn't being especially kind to my hairdo, forcing me to wave hair away from my eyes and mouth frequently throughout our journey, much to Howards' amusement. I still had no idea where we were going or what we were doing, with only his very brief explanation yesterday to rely on. I knew he needed help with a problem, however, that problem and its location were a mystery to me.

"Where are we actually going, Howard?" I mumbled my query, removing yet another strand of hair that had wisped its way into my mouth, making me regret choosing to leave it down today.

"You'll see when we get there." He offered no real answer or explanation, sparing me only a quick glance and a particularly devilish looking smile.

"I swear to god Howard if we end up anywhere near your bedroom and its beautiful window views I will not be held responsible for my actions..." He barked out a loud laugh at my comment, keeping his eyes on the road as he composed himself.

"Oh, I don't doubt that Eve," He quipped, shooting me a brief yet dazzling smile before turning his attention back to the road. "But don't worry, I'll save that for another time." I groaned, exasperatedly brushing my hair from my face and sinking back into my seat, resigned to the fact that I would probably never get a straight or even moderately serious answer from this man.

Gradually the fields began to diminish and the country roads widened, alerting me to the fact that we were leaving the countryside and entering the city. I rose slightly in my seat as I realised where we were heading, the towering buildings rising slowly over the horizon as we got closer. My sudden peak in interest and excitement elicited a small smile from Howard, which I happily reciprocated.

"New York." I stated simply, to which Howard cheerfully nodded.

"The city that never sleeps," He muttered as he too admired the tall buildings. "The most beautiful city in the world." I huffed at this, raising an eyebrow and falling back into my seat.

"I'd have to beg to differ, I think you'll find that London holds that title." I argued, defending my home city proudly. Howard simply raised a sceptical eyebrow towards me followed by a frown.

"It has its perks, but wouldn't exactly call London 'beautiful', nothin' like New York." He remarked, motioning towards the fast approaching city with an air of pride about him.

"London is very beautiful!" I exclaimed, pretending to take offence to his sour words about my city. "Just in a slightly more... unconventional way." He seemed less than convinced by my words, chuckling at my feeble attempt at redeeming the city's image.

"Last time I was in London, a crazy drunk nearly took my head off!" I couldn't contain my amusement at this news, finding it all too believable and unsurprising that he would do something to elicit that reaction.

"Yes well, that's what happens when you frequent dance halls and flirt with the pretty brunette who already has a man." I remarked, making an educated guess as to why someone may have wanted to take a swing at Howard. He breathed out a laugh, a devious smirk stretching across his lips.

"Actually, if I remember rightly she was a blonde." I swatted him on the arm, sinking back into my chair with a wide grin plastered on my face, allowing us to fall into a comfortable and cheerful silence as we approached the city.

I had found myself silently retracting my earlier argument as we'd sped through the long city streets, winding through the tall grey buildings that reached into the sky. It might have been noisy and a little smelly, but New York was certainly beautiful, and whilst London was, mostly, my home and I loved it, it couldn't hold a candle to the busy city before me. I'd spent most of the journey focusing on the sights around me rather than where we were going. Considering I'd never been to New York before I wouldn't have had the foggiest where we were going anyway, even if I had been paying attention.

We'd mostly fallen into silence since entering the city, with Howard focusing on manoeuvring the busy roads whilst I marvelled at the sights around me. Every now and then he'd make a small comment or point out a place of interest, which mostly ended up being places he had encountered a beautiful woman or an angry man. However, every now and then he would point to a location, offering a tidbit of information about himself and his family, which I found to be far more interesting. I realised that I actually knew very little about the man beside me, apart from the scandals and successes that I'd read about in the papers. I was surprised to learn that his father had made his living selling fruit, which Howard had divulged as he pointed towards a small side-road that was home to a long row of market stalls. His comments ceased after I'd offered him an especially irate glare following a far too in depth retelling of an encounter he'd had with a particularly fiery red-head. He had quickly apologised, turning his attention back to the road as I turned mine back to sightseeing. I did, however, notice his eyes stray from the road once or twice, flicking over in my direction when he thought I was engrossed in the sights. I'd simply chosen to ignore him, silently praying we'd make it to our location soon so that I could escape from our close proximity for a little while.

It wasn't much longer before we turned off the main roads, heading away from the bustling city centre and onto quieter streets. A tall building loomed ahead of us, slightly less run-down than the others surrounding it. A large metal plaque over the front door displayed the Stark name, alerting me that this would most likely be our destination. The car slowed, coming to a stop right in front of the building as Howard promptly killed the engine. I leaned forward, scrabbling around at my feet to find my bag which I had thrown down there earlier, my fingers finding the strap just as my door opened. I climbed out of the vehicle, offering Howard a polite smile in thanks before heading towards the entrance.

"Miss Moore," he addressed me with a grin as he reached past and swung the door open, allowing me to enter before him.

"Why thank you, Mr Stark," I responded in like, allowing myself a small chuckle as I moved through the doorway, my heels clicking on the hard stone floor beneath me. A small desk sat to the right of the entrance, an incredibly bored and uninterested brunette perched behind it whilst she focused on the crossword she was puzzling over, her other hand twisting through the tight curls that hung at her neck. She slowly glanced up, taking little interest in us and briefly looking back down at her paper before doing a quick double take. A look of stunned horror flashed over her face before she quickly composed herself, immediately leaping to her feet with a wide grin.

"Mr Stark," She greeted her boss enthusiastically, leaving me to groan internally as she batted her eye lashes, smoothing out her skirt and twisting a curl around her finger. "I wasn't aware you'd be dropping in today."

Howard paused for a moment and I could practically see the cogs in his brain working overtime.

"Donna!" He clapped his hands together with a proud smile.

"Dianne." She corrected, her hand falling from her hair as she fought to keep her smile on her lips.

"Yeah, of course, that's what I meant," I raised my hand to my mouth, attempting to subtly cover my smirk to no avail, earning a brief yet fierce glare from the woman. "Agent Moore and I have some important work to do today, so if you could see to it that we're not disturbed I would be very grateful."

"Of course, Mr Stark." She offered him a tight smile and cast a lowered glance at me before dropping back down into her chair and turning her attention back to her puzzle. I was startled slightly as Howards' hand came to rest on the small of my back, directing me towards the doorway to our left. I obliged, pushing the door open and stepping through as I still fought to contain my giggles, practically feeling the insulted receptionist's eyes burning holes into my back. Once the door had closed behind us, I playfully slapped Howards' arm, finally releasing my laughter.

"You are truly awful," the frown on my face wasn't nearly as convincing as I would have hoped, the corners of my lips tugging upwards in amusement.

"Aw c'mon Eve I can't be expected to remember every girls' name." He defended weakly, continuing to lead the way to our destination.

"Oh, goodness no, I'm sure there are far too many of them for that," I commented quietly, my attention more focused on the space around me, though I didn't fail to notice the dejected frown that furrowed his brows. "Although you've managed to remember mine so far, so that's something." He chuckled at that, holding another door open as he gestured for me to go through.

"Ah well, you're not just 'every girl'. I'm sure I'll ever forget about you." He responded with a wink, pausing to unlock the large doors that now stood before us.

"Oh Howard, you do know how to make a girl feel special." I fanned my face dramatically before placing one hand over my heart and using the other to wipe away an invisible tear. He rolled his eyes at my little show, shoving open the now unlocked door and marching through, allowing it to swing shut before I could enter. I heard his quiet chuckle as I huffed out a breath, pushing the door open myself and following him into the room. He ignored the few choice words I offered him, instead busying himself with turning on the lights.

"Oh, pipe down Eve," I crossed my arms over my chest, trying but failing to hold my mask of irritation as he shot me a truly heart melting smile. "I gotta show you something." He took my hands in his, leading me further into the room and towards something very large and covered in a dust sheet, peaking my curiosity as I considered what could possibly lay beneath.

"This is a very important part of Project Rebirth," He announced, grabbing the sheet and ripping it off to reveal a large metal chamber with a small glass window on the front, "At least, it will be once I work out what's wrong with it."

I examined the machine with a renewed interest and excitement, running my hands over the cool metal as I inspected every inch of the device. Howard watched on in amusement as I marvelled over the contraption like a child in a toy shop.

"You made this?" I asked curiously as I continued my close inspection, "What's wrong with it?"

"Yes, designed and built myself," He clapped his hands together, proudly scanning over his work with a smile, "and I have no idea, I was hoping you could tell me." I ceased my inspection to glance towards him, an eyebrow raised in expectancy.

"You're going to have to give me a little more information than that..."

He grabbed my hand, leading me around to the front of the machine where the door sat, open just a fraction. He indicated for me to watch as he reached towards a lever, pulling it forcefully down as he observed the door. It began to swing shut, the small gap disappearing as it closed. The noise that followed had me grimacing as the metal groaned and screeched, attempting to seal the door before giving up and allowing it to swing open once again. I chewed my lip thoughtfully for a moment before turning to Howard.

"Well... the door won't shut." I stated very obviously, my collected expression holding as Howard remained silent, blinking at me in exasperation.

"Yes, I had worked out that much myself. I was hoping you might offer a bit more insight." I dropped my mask at his tone, descending into laughter as he watched me in disbelief.

"Let me take a look at it, I think I know exactly what's wrong." He seemed sated by my words, rolling his eyes as he waved a dismissive hand at me, allowing me to get on with what I had to.

It didn't take me long to find the source of the problem, and though Howard didn't look overly comfortable with me picking apart his creation, he stayed back and allowed me to work. I quickly realised that perhaps a skirt and heels hadn't been the best choice for today, though in my defence, I hadn't been expecting to spend my day on my hands and knees, pulling a machine to pieces before re-assembling it. The issue was a long but easy fix, and I found myself sceptical about how Howard could have missed it himself. It had taken me most of the day to rectify the issue with complete and utter certainty. Most of this time Howard had spent either peering over my shoulder or avoiding my stern glares and orders to stop peering over my shoulder. I released a sigh, pulling myself to my feet and grabbing a cloth to wipe my hands. I waved for Howard to join me, removing the last smudge of oil from my fingers before dropping the rag onto the table beside me.

"Try it now," I instructed, and Howard quickly complied, pulling the lever once again and watching in anticipation. The door swung closed, as it had before, the locks falling into place as it sealed tightly shut. We watched with bated breath, waiting for the same grating screech that we had heard earlier, yet it never came. The locks remained in place, holding the door steadily closed. I released a quiet hum of appreciation at my work, resting my hands on my hips and shooting Howard a satisfied smile.

"Evelyn Moore, you are truly amazing." He praised, rushing forward to inspect the door and confirm that it was sealed shut and safe for use.

"Well yes, that is correct." I confirmed, brushing my hair off my shoulder with a sigh, matching Howard's grin.

"What the hell was wrong with it?"

"Hydraulic Cylinder Drift," I explained simply, to which he nodded thoughtfully, "the piston seal was leaking, meaning it couldn't complete the process and seal the door. It was actually very simple I'm not sure how you missed it." He ignored my last comment, throwing an arm around my shoulder and squeezing me in a one-armed hug. I frowned at his closeness, never really being one for hugs, though I allowed his arm to stay where it was, finding myself in no rush to remove him from me.

"This is cause for celebration!" He exclaimed, leading me away from the machine before releasing me and reclaiming the sheet that had covered it earlier. I watched on as he concealed his precious creation, patting the cold metal on the side as if he were praising a pet dog. "You deserve proper thanks for your exemplary work today."

"Oh...? And what might that entail?" I queried, beginning to feel sure that I wouldn't be keen on the answer.

"You and I are going to dinner," He seemed proud of his idea, certain that I would feel flattered and jump at the chance of dinner with him, "my treat, of course."

"I'm not exactly dressed for dinner," I complained, directing his gaze towards my outfit and the greasy marks that still stained my skin. He laughed at my disheartened expression, banishing my concerns with a quick wave.

"There's a bathroom down the hall where you can clean off your hands, and as for your outfit, I think you look beautiful and perfectly dressed for dinner." I fought against the warm flush that had spread through my cheeks, allowing my hair to fall over my face as I focused my attention down at my skirt. I flattened out the fabric whilst I composed myself, finally looking back up at an expectant Howard. He watched me silently, patiently waiting for my response. I eventually breathed a sigh, resigning myself to the evening ahead.

"Where is this bathroom?" My answer confirmed my agreement and left Howard with a pleased grin, which I swiftly ignored as I followed his directions out of the room and towards the bathroom. I took much longer than I needed, making sure to scrub any signs of dirt off my skin before ensuring my hair and makeup were perfectly in place. I topped up my lipstick, fiddling with my curls once more before deciding I couldn't put off the inevitable any longer and exiting the bathroom. I was met with the smirking face of Howard, who promptly offered his arm and led me back towards the reception. I ignored the sour looks we received from Dianne as we passed, her attention homed in on my hand which linked with his arm. Deciding to stir the pot just a little more, I shot her a smug smile over my shoulder, batting my eyelashes for good measure, finding myself thoroughly amused by the way her scowl slipped only to be replaced by a displeased awe. I didn't think Howard had noticed my childish display until we were both seated in the car and he shot me an incredulous yet entertained look.

"If I have to find a new receptionist now, I hold you entirely to blame." I gawped at his comment, unable to hide my laughter.

"Oh? You don't think it might have anything to do with the fact you called her by the wrong name?!"

"Not at all, my natural charm makes it hard for people to hold a grudge," He shrugged, ignoring my increasing laughter, "You, however..." I attempted to slap his arm, however he anticipated my reaction this time, scooting in his seat and causing me to miss, instead hitting the back of his chair.

"You're extremely violent, you know that?" He laughed, turning back in his seat and starting the car's engine.

"I am aware, and you'd think that fact would prompt you to be a little nicer to me." I answered, shooting him my most threatening glare, which was quickly swept away by a grin as he feigned fear. I sat back in my seat, taking a deep breath to make up for the oxygen I'd lost whilst laughing so hard, the car jolting underneath me as we pulled away from the curb.

"That would be no fun at all." He quipped, his voice quiet as a smile crept onto his lips.

The restaurant was quiet, offering us a wide choice of tables to occupy. I suppose with a war going on, there weren't many people taking a night off to go out to dinner. I still felt slightly under-dressed for the occasion, yet Howards' presence somehow managed to quell my discomfort, helping me to relax. He was ever the gentleman, making sure to pull out my chair for me before I sat, and handling the task of ordering our drinks for us before handing me a menu. I grimaced slightly as I perused the options, noticing the less than savoury prices beside them, which didn't go unnoticed by Howard.

"Order whatever you like Eve," He reassured with a gentler than usual smile, "without you, Project Rebirth would be at a standstill, you deserve a treat." I allowed myself a small moment of pride, smiling at my accomplishment before pulling my bottom lip in between my teeth. I chewed at the skin as I scanned the menu, eventually making a decision and hesitantly relaying my order to Howard, which he then relayed to our waiter. We sat in silence for a few minutes, me sipping at my drink whilst Howard watched me, a curious edge to his expression. I made eye contact over my glass a couple of times, shifting under his gaze before I placed the glass back down and sighed.

"Why are you staring at me?" I asked with a frown.

"Am I not allowed to stare at a beautiful woman?" He responded with a smirk, to which I rolled my eyes and raised a disbelieving brow. He chuckled, realising my scepticism. "I'm just trying to figure you out, Evelyn Moore."

"What is there to figure out?" I asked, not expecting the honest answer he had given me, having become used to his jovial comments.

"A damn lot it would seem," He laughed, resting his arms on the table, "Tell me, how did you end up learning five languages?" I laughed, shifting into a more comfortable position and cocking my head in thought before replying.

"Well, English is my first language, as you know, but when I was around nine years old, a boy joined my class who spoke only French. As you can imagine, he had trouble communicating so, little Eve took it upon herself to learn his language in an attempt to understand. As it turns out, I had quite the knack for languages, and after learning one, couldn't seem to stop myself." Howard remained silent, listening intently as I explained myself. "Once I'd mastered French, I went looking for something a little different, and ended up learning Spanish, which is a beautiful language, but I got bored of it quite quickly as I found it so easy. That's when I started learning Russian." He perked up at this, raising his eyebrows in interest and disbelief. I breathed a laugh, understanding his reaction. "Russian proved to be much more difficult, however it only took me a couple of years to master it. I hadn't intended on learning another, but when the war started and we were tasked with intercepting German codes, I thought it might be handy to know what I was reading."

He watched me in slight disbelief, that same glint of pride in his eyes that I had seen when I defended myself in Colonel Phillips office a few days earlier. I shrugged my shoulders with a smile, waiting for a response now that I'd finished speaking.

"You decided to learn Russian because you found Spanish was too easy," He repeated what I'd said with a quiet laugh, "You sure are somethin', Eve." I raised a brow with a smile, assuming that the something he was talking about was a good thing, and meant as a compliment.

"And what about your mechanics? Just woke up one morning and decided to fix the toaster?" His comment forced a laugh from me, but it quickly died down as memories began to flood my mind. I picked at my nails anxiously as I considered what to say, not entirely sure I really felt like telling him the sad truth right now.

"My brother was a mechanic," The words had tumbled out of my lips before I'd had a chance to finish considering them. His smile faltered as he noticed my hesitance, sending me a look that told me not to say anything I didn't want to. Unfortunately, my mouth had already bypassed any thought processes and before I knew it I was continuing.

"My father taught him everything he knew, and after we lost him in the first war, Charlie clung to it. I suppose it was something that helped him to feel connected like he hadn't completely lost him. Obviously, as a young girl I wasn't encouraged into mechanics, but seeing how it gave Charlie some sort of peace, I decided I wanted to feel the same. I bothered him for weeks before he finally relented," I paused, chuckling slightly at the fond memory before continuing. "We spent hours in my dad's old workshop, Charlie teaching me everything he knew. Turns out I had a knack for mechanics too. It didn't help me feel closer to my father, not in the same way it did for Charlie, but it gave me a connection with my brother that I hadn't had before. I suppose that's what made me love it." I paused then, my brain finally catching up with my mouth as I realised I'd most definitely let far too much information fall from my lips. I cast a worried glance towards Howard, yet I didn't see surprise in his eyes, or even pity, just understanding.

"Your brother sounds like a great guy." He offered, to which I responded with a sad smile.

"He is..." I began, before correcting myself, "Was."

"Was?" Howard asked quietly, anxious to press me but noticing how the atmosphere around us had sunk with my words.

"He was stationed in Corregidor," I began quietly, a flash of sudden understanding in Howards' eyes, "killed in action. I received the letter just before I travelled to America." He didn't respond immediately, taking a moment to allow me silence to grieve such a recent loss.

"I'm so sorry Eve," He reached across the table, placing a gentle hand over mine in an effort to comfort me. I focused on our hands for a moment, feeling the warmth of his skin on mine, the way it made my own tingle under his touch. I sucked in a deep breath, closing my eyes as I composed myself, opening them to meet Howards' eye. I didn't speak, feeling as though "Thank you" wasn't a sincere enough response, yet not knowing what else to say. So instead I send him a small smile and a nod, relaying my thanks without having to utter a word. Our peace was quickly broken by the presence of our waiter beside us, who placed our food on the table with a few quiet words before hurrying away. We spent the rest of the meal mostly in silence, though not the kind of silence that makes you uncomfortable and anxious. It was more like a silence between old friends, the kind of friends who didn't need words to communicate, but could simply feel what the other was feeling. We did maintain a light conversation, though we avoided any deep topics, sticking mainly to simple questions and answers about ourselves, favourite colour and the like. Howard even managed to utilise his quick wit to coax a laugh from me a couple of times, lightening the mood considerably. I had let out a particularly loud laugh when he had suggested that he would take me dancing one day, a thought I was thoroughly amused by. While I was definitely one for dancing, I refused to ever give Howard Stark the satisfaction of thinking I would go on anything that even remotely resembled a date with him. A thank you dinner between friends seemed to have boosted his ego quite enough for me. I didn't want to see what an actual date would do.

The drive back to Camp Lehigh was spent in much the same way, mostly silence. The sun had long sunk below the horizon by this point, leaving us to manoeuvre our way through the country lanes in darkness. I didn't mind this though, the journey seeming much more enjoyable now that stars were scattered in the darkness above us, the moon lighting our way. I lay my head back in my chair, tracking the constellations as I hummed, reciting a quiet lullaby my mother had sung to me and my brother as children. It had always filled me with a sense of calm, allowing me to forget any worries. I glanced over at Howard, whose eyes were focused on the road ahead. He spared me a quick look before resuming his driving, a smile playing on his lips that was so faint it was barely noticeable. Yet I noticed it. A similar smile crept onto my face as I turned away from him, continuing to hum my song as I watched the bushes and trees fly by.

Before long, we were pulling back in through the gates of Camp Lehigh, rolling to a stop as the engine cut out. I straightened in my seat, twisting the strap of my purse in my lap as I waited for Howard to round the car and open my door.

"Let me walk you back to your room," He offered, less of a command like it had been the previous night, and more of a hopeful suggestion.

"Even if I said no I'm sure you would anyway." I commented, beginning to walk away from him in the direction of my room.

"It's like you've known me my whole life." He laughed, falling into step beside me. We crossed the Camp slowly, taking the longer route with the excuse that we didn't want to wake anyone by cutting through the buildings at this hour. It took us slightly longer to reach my building than it taken me this morning, both of us coming to a stop outside the doors. I turned back to face Howard, a strong sense of Deja Vu hitting me as we stood in the same positions as we had the previous night. I picked at the hem of my shirt sleeve, once again unsure of how I should take my leave.

"Thank you for dinner Howard." I settled with a simple thanks, followed by a friendly smile.

"You're welcome, thank you for helping me fix the chamber." I nodded at his response, noticing how he shifted slightly on his feet.

"You're welcome." He grinned as I repeated his words before silence fell between us again.

"Well... Goodnight Howard." I dismissed myself, turning to leave before pausing at the door as he called my name.

"Eve wait," I turned back towards him, waiting for him to continue. "What would you say if I asked you on a date?" His usual wall of confidence was up, a cheeky smirk on his lips as he waited for my answer. Though there were cracks in his wall, like the way he shifted on his feet, or picked at the loose thread on his pocket, betraying flaws in his façade of confidence. I breathed out a laugh, defiantly crossing my arms over my chest.

"I would say in your dreams Howard Stark." He gave me the reaction I'd expected, a deep laugh and a wide grin.

"I thought you might say that," He nodded, swinging his jacket over his shoulder and sticking his hand in his pocket. "But I'm not going to give up on asking until you say yes." I rolled my eyes, suppressing my grin as I turned away from him.

"Goodnight Howard." I offered a wave over my shoulder as I pulled the door open and stepped inside, allowing it to swing shut behind me.

"Goodnight Evelyn." His quiet response slipped through the door before it closed, coaxing a small smile from my otherwise composed expression.

I opened the door to my room as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb Peggy in case she'd gone to bed early. No such luck of course. She sat in bed clutching a book which she promptly flipped shut as I entered. I grimaced as I noticed the clock on her bedside read 10:45 pm. A bit later than I'd expected to get back.

"Nice day Eve?" She asked innocently, with a not so innocent smile on her face. I decided that I wouldn't let her attempts to embarrass me work, turning and sending her a polite smile.

"Lovely day, thank you," I replied, throwing my bag down on the bed and slipping my shoes off, "Got lots of important work done, it was very productive." She raised a dubious eyebrow at the lack of detail in my re-telling of the day as I grabbed my night clothes and retreated to the bathroom.

"Howard didn't cause too much trouble then?" She called out through the door that I'd left open.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." I replied, focusing on cleaning my face and unpinning my hair before changing. I returned to the bedroom, receiving a look from Peggy that said, "I'll find out all your secrets eventually", and I didn't doubt it. However, I chose to ignore her stares, offering a cheerful good night before hopping into bed and pulling the covers up to my neck. I received a good night in return before the lights were flicked off, plunging the room into darkness and luring me into a deep, and not so dreamless, sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

I'd practically leapt from bed the next morning, throwing on an, unsurprisingly, olive pair of trousers and an off-white t-shirt. I was eager to avoid Peggy and her inevitable probing on the events of the previous day, hence why I had woken before dawn had even risen and decided to make my escape. I pulled my hair back out of my face, securing it in a bun at the back of my head. I didn't bother with any fancy styling as it would only get ruined during my morning plans anyway. Once I was satisfied I was suitably ready, I pulled on my rarely worn cargo boots and crept out of the bedroom, careful not to wake my roommate.

I sucked in a deep breath as the cool early morning air hit my face, closing my eyes for a moment to enjoy the silence that hung over the camp. As much as I loved being around people, my alone time was just as precious to me as anything else. Finding myself able to allow myself time like this had become a rare occurrence as of late, and I planned to cherish every second of it. I set off at a slow jog, heading along the path that the recruits would follow later that day. I didn't plan on running the full length of the track, not eager to engage in that much strenuous activity this early. I ran at a steady pace for a few minutes before I reached a nearby hill, increasing my speed to a sprint as I ascended the slope. I slowed to a stop once I'd reached the top, allowing myself a moment to breathe as I observed the view.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, its rays bouncing off the metal flag poles and bathing the camp in a warm glow. While it wasn't the most conventionally pretty view, it still offered some semblance of beauty as it stretched out before me. I thought back to yesterday, finding the first thing that came to mind to be Howard and his irritating charm and annoyingly captivating smile. I chuckled as I recalled his insistence on taking me dancing, allowing myself to imagine the scene should I ever say yes. I frowned, biting my lip as I realised that perhaps I actually wouldn't mind very much, being in Howard's arms as we moved together on the dance floor. Though whether I minded or not, I would never give him the satisfaction of becoming another name on his long list of women. I'd seen the way he'd completely forgotten the name of his receptionist, a woman who he must encounter quite often. How long until he forgot my name? The distant sound of movement and voices alerted me that the camp was beginning to wake. I forced down these thoughts as I broke into a jog, my legs carrying me back towards the camp and the day ahead of me.

"Early start Eve?" I exited the bathroom, my body wrapped tightly in a large bath sheet as I rubbed at my damp hair with a smaller towel. I dismissed the pointed stare I was receiving from Peggy, focusing on getting ready for the day.

"I woke up early and thought I'd go for a run," I explained simply, my gaze focused on my reflection as I fought to ignore the woman watching me from behind.

"Right, so you weren't just trying to avoid me then?" She laughed, easily guessing my motives.

"Clearly I didn't do a good enough job of it," I grumbled to myself, to which Peggy frowned with a quiet chuckle. Thankfully, her need to get ready for the day saved me from any further probing. For now, anyway. I threw my towel onto the bed, content that my hair was suitably dry, before watching my reflection for a moment. My face appeared to be going through a healthy period, my cheeks painted with a fresh glow and my skin blemish free. I sent myself a small smile before pulling a brush through my tangled hair, tugging at the strands until they resembled something less like a birds' nest.

As we'd only be assisting the recruits today on their training, there was absolutely no need to get all dolled up, resulting in me pulling my hair back into the same style as I had donned this morning. It sat neat and tidy in a tight bun, away from my face apart from a few wispy strands that fell over my ears and cheeks. I opted to simply apply a light layer of moisturiser to my cheeks, relishing the feeling of a makeup-free face. I spared a glance to my usual outfit, that olive skirt suit monstrosity that was yet to grow on me. After my day spent all dressed up and looking pretty yesterday, there was nothing I wanted more than to be comfortable today, which is what led me to climb back into my earlier trousers and a fresh white t-shirt. I was just slipping my feet back into my cargo boots when Peggy emerged from the bathroom, her hair styled femininely to perfection and a slick of red across her lips. She was dressed in our usual uniform, buttoning her jacket as she observed me.

"Someone's having a comfortable day." She commented, eyeing my casual and masculine outfit choice. I rolled my eyes, finishing lacing my boots where I sat on my bed.

"This is an army camp Peg, not a fashion show," I remarked, earning a smirk in response, "besides, I'm sick of these men looking at me like some sort of prize cow at the county show." This comment earned a loud laugh from my friend as she dropped onto her bed, still giggling as she slipped her feet into her shoes.

"Well, I suppose it's not like you're aching to impress any of them..." Her comment was mumbled just loud enough to hear, and I folded my arms over my chest whilst shooting her a questioning frown.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I had a terrible suspicion that I knew exactly where she was going with this.

"Well, it's just that you don't need to impress any of the soldiers when you've already got your eye on someone." I narrowed my eyes as she sent me a devious grin, her comment hitting right on the mark as I shook my head at her before she could continue.

"If you say another word, I will smother you with your pillow while you sleep." I threatened, fighting back the smile that attempted to break across my lips before grabbing my own pillow and throwing it across the room at her. She narrowly avoided being hit, raising her hands in defeat with a laugh.

"I'm just saying, you seemed awfully cheerful when you got back last night, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that at all." I rose to my feet, grabbing my jacket and sliding my arms into the sleeves before buttoning it up.

"I am leaving right now, I will see you when you're finished talking nonsense." I glared, slipping out through the door and practically marching towards the meeting point for this morning's training. I wasn't sure why Peggy's words had irked me so much, considering nothing happened yesterday and nothing was ever going to happen. Yet the more I thought about it, the more I realised that yesterday, despite having to deal with the excessive flirting and sarcasm had, in fact, left me in a wonderful mood. And despite my denials, I could swear that I could still feel the pleasantly warm tingle on my skin where Howard had placed his hand on mine. But I would never let Peggy or anyone else know that.

I silently watched the recruits as I waited patiently for Peggy to arrive so we could begin the mornings training. The men stood casually, laughing and chatting to each other as they waited for their instructions. They all seemed exceptionally cheerful this morning, the warm sunshine casting a bright and light-hearted atmosphere over us all. A small smirk worked its way onto my lips as I thought about how much they would come to resent the sun's rays once they started training. A cough behind me alerted me to someone's presence, the men slowly falling into line, not in much of a hurry as Peggy approached. She raised an eyebrow at their nonchalant attitudes, crossing her arms over her chest as she shot them a baffled expression.

"I'm confused, I thought this was an army camp, not a stroll through the park. Fall into line!" One or two of the men who hadn't been paying attention practically jumped out of their skin as she raised her voice, hurriedly stumbling into line and standing to attention. All but one.

"Hodge," I called to the man who slouched lazily in the line, an arrogant smirk on his face. "I'm sorry, did you spontaneously lose your hearing overnight? Or do we need to tell you again?" His smirk fell as he watched me warily before straightening.

"No ma'am," He responded, offering the enthusiasm of a cat in a bathtub. I sent him one last glare before turning to walk away before a quiet mumble stopped me in my tracks.

"What was that recruit?" I asked calmly, standing confidently before him despite his obvious height advantage.

"I was just wondering why you decided to dress as one of the men today, ma'am." A few of the less intelligent recruits snickered at this, the smarter ones remaining silent. I offered him a polite smile, no trace of the hostility I was feeling visible on my face.

"I thought perhaps I'd join in on the fun today, go for a little run with you boys." He raised his eyebrows at this, clearly amused as he snorted out a laugh.

"No offence meant ma'am, but I don't think you'd be able to keep up." His cocky smirk quickly fell from his face as his eyes shot over my shoulder, quickly standing to attention. I turned to see what was going on, quickly understanding his actions as Colonel Phillips approached, observing our interaction.

"Having a bit of trouble with the recruits Agent Moore?" He asked with amusement, his eyes flicking between Hodge and I as I shot him a wide smile.

"Not at all Colonel, I was just thinking that I might join the recruits on their morning run," I explained, noting how even Colonel Phillips appeared sceptical at the idea. "But I think Hodge was worried that a woman might embarrass him." He watched me carefully, a silent conversation between us as he considered my idea, finally relenting with a small shrug.

"Perhaps you can show these ladies how it's done." He raised his voice as he spoke, an uncharacteristic smile on his face as his eyes scanned the recruits before him. I released a satisfied hum of approval before shooting a dazzling smile at Hodge over my shoulder. I practically strode towards the rucksacks all recruits were required to carry on their run, slinging the straps over my shoulder and throwing another towards Hodge, who caught the bag with ease.

"Shall we get started then?"

My earlier thoughts were considerably less amusing now that I was in this position, my leg muscles burning as they fought to carry me up the steep incline whilst the sun blazed down above me. Though every muscle in my body was protesting, and the heavy straps of my rucksack dug into my shoulders, I powered on. I would not give Hodge or any of his meathead comrades the satisfaction of seeing me fail. I would drag myself to the end of this course on my hands and knees if I had to. My physical fitness had always been over-average, especially for a woman, and even more so considering my petite stature. But when you had an attitude like mine, overachieving was the only option. I released a sigh as I spotted the flagpole in the near distance, indicating we had almost reached the halfway point. My relief was quickly replaced with concern as I heard a familiar wheezing sound from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder, slowing my pace slightly to allow myself to fall into step with the one recruit I wasn't surprised to see holding up the rear. He offered me a pained smile as he noticed me, his breathing obviously laboured as he struggled to keep up. Yet, he continued to run, pushing himself and his body to near breaking point.

"Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth," I suggested, a little out of breath myself as I used precious oxygen to talk. "And take longer strides, your legs will thank you for it." He nodded in thanks, choosing wisely not to respond with any words as we approached the rest of the men who were slowly coming to a stop, yet he took my advice and began to inhale through his nose and out through his mouth, lengthening his strides as best as he could, given his vertically challenged stature. The loud and repetitive calls from the drill sergeant had continued throughout the run, prompting the men to pick up the pace, and occasionally scolding a recruit for falling behind. Understandably, Steve Rogers had been mentioned on more than one of these occasions. I came to a stop behind the group, offering a gentle and reassuring pat on his shoulder to as he doubled over, struggling to catch his breath.

"That flag means we're only at the halfway point, the first man to bring it to me can ride back with Agent Carter. Move, move!" I watched in amusement as the group scrambled to reach the pole before anyone else, launching themselves into the air and attempting to climb. I stifled a laugh behind my hand as, one after the other, they tumbled back to the ground, defeated by the task.

"How about you ma'am, you gonna give it a try?" One of the recruits called over to me where I stood, a smirk plastered on my face.

"Oh no, no. Watching you lot is much more amusing." I laughed, reassured by the fact that I knew full well I could scale that flagpole if I wanted to. I noticed a quiet chuckle from Peggy and the rarely seen amused expression the drill sergeant had adopted. "Plus, I'm quite enjoying this run, it's quite invigorating, don't you think?" I had easily caught my breath by this point, remaining the picture of composure as I fought against my aching muscles. I'd throw myself under Peggy's car before I allowed any of them to witness any weakness from me.

"They barely have a brain to share between them," I muttered under my breath, the only person hearing my words being Rogers who had finally caught his breath, releasing a wheezy laugh from beside me.

"Nobody's got that flag in seventeen years! Now fall back into line! Come on, fall in! Let's go, get back into formation," the drill sergeant ushered the man back into line, waving them away from their fruitless efforts to scale the pole, "Rogers! I said fall in!"

I had been so distracted watching the recruits fall from the flagpole that I hadn't noticed Rogers stray from my side, strolling over to the pole with a contemplative look on his face. He paused for a moment, ignoring the orders being barked at him, busy assessing the situation in front of him before leaning down towards the floor. I grinned, realising immediately what he was going to do, laughing as he pulled the pin from the base of the pole. He watched calmly as the pole teetered before crashing to the ground, throwing the pin to the side and approaching the spot where the flag end of the pole had landed. I watched on in delight, sharing a proud and knowing look with Peggy as she glanced over at me, fighting the grin that threatened to grace her lips. The other recruits simply watched on in silence, either too irritated or too amused to comment. Rogers offered a quick, "Thank you sir", handing the flag over to the drill sergeant before hopping into the back of the car. Suffice to say, he had a markedly more pleasant trip back to camp than I did, though my exceptionally wonderful mood and Hodge's arrogant face pushed me to complete the two-mile run in record time.

I slowed to a stop as we reached the end, taking a moment to catch my breath before sending the drill sergeant a friendly nod and thanks as he praised me for how I'd managed to do better than most of the sorry excuses for men we had here. It wasn't long before Peggy found me, shooting me a proud smile as she approached.

"Do you think Hodge is going to have to beat someone up in an attempt to regain his masculinity after that?" I laughed, clutching my chest as my lungs begged for me to stop wasting oxygen. "You did great though Eve, looked like you barely broke a sweat." I reached out to her, clutching her arm dramatically.

"My God Peg, I'm dying." I groaned, blowing a puff of air towards a strand of hair that had escaped during the run, and massaging out a stitch that had reared its ugly head during the final stretch.

"Perhaps we should get you some lunch," She suggested, throwing an arm over my shoulder and leading me away, "and also maybe a shower." She added, her nose crinkling as she glanced over at me with a sniff, laughing as I batted her on the arm with a frown. As much as I hated to admit it, she was right, and her words had me heading straight back to our room to wash away all traces of the run and soak my aching muscles.

I released a forlorn sigh, resting my hands on my hips as I observed the recruits before me. We had arrived back from our short lunch, and my shower break, around 30 minutes ago, a lunch which I had spent most of tidying myself up after my second run of the day. Sweat dripped from the recruit's brows as they fought to keep up with our instructions, some faring far better than others. In their defence, it was a warm day and they'd been at it for a while. But we couldn't afford to cut them any slack. The Germans certainly wouldn't.

"Come on ladies, pick it up! This is truly painful to watch!" I yelled, barely suppressing a groan as yet another collapsed to the ground. I strolled through the middle of the men, a smirk lighting up my face as I crouched beside a familiar face. "What's wrong Hodge, getting a bit sleepy?" I spoke softly with a sympathetic pout of my lips.

"No ma'am." He breathed out, blowing a puff of air from his lips as he dropped into another press-up. Looked like he was still bitter about my success this morning.

"Good," I responded, standing tall again and turning to address all of the recruits, "You can rest when you're dead!" I turned away, trudging over to Peggy and offering her a dismayed eye roll. "Honestly Peg this is painful to watch."

"Tell me about it," She mumbled, her arms crossed over her chest as she nodded her head towards the group, "Richards looks like he's about to have an aneurysm." A short burst of laughter escaped me at this comment, followed by a frown and a nod of agreement. I turned my attention away from Richards and towards the one recruit who had captured my attention since the beginning. He certainly seemed to be struggling, his breath coming out in loud wheezes as it had earlier and sweat dripping from what seemed to be every inch of his body. Yet he didn't stop. How his scrawny arms could even support him let alone allow him to complete a press-up was beyond me. I flicked back through the files I had kept tucked under my arm, searching for the medical information on Rogers. I eventually found what I was looking for, releasing a low whistle when I noticed the lengthy list of ailments under his name. My finger drifted down the list, searching for the one thing which I was certain would be on there, coming to a stop when my suspicions were confirmed. Asthma. That would explain the terrible wheezing sound he was making. Note to self: find the poor kid an inhaler asap. I tucked the folder back under my arm, watching him curiously. Despite the long list of things holding him back, I had a strong suspicion that Steve Rogers was going to be one to watch.

"Faster ladies, come on," Peggy called out, leaving her spot beside me to stroll amongst the recruits, hoping to motivate them a little more. "My grandmother has more life in her, God rest her soul. Move it!"

A familiar voice pulled my attention away from the recruits as Colonel Phillips and Doctor Erskine approached, talking between themselves. While I couldn't hear every word they were saying, it was easy to figure out exactly who they were talking about when the words "90lb asthmatic" were mentioned. I frowned at the Colonel's quick dismissal of Rogers, clearly seeing for myself exactly why he was the perfect choice for project re-birth. From what Erskine had told me, it wasn't a soldier we needed, but a good man who could tell wrong from right and always fought for the latter. I turned my attention back to Rogers, wincing at his floppy excuse of a jumping jack. I edged closer to the Doctor and Colonel, subtly decreasing our distance so that I could listen in to what they were saying. I almost marched over there and gave them a few of my opinions when I heard Hodge's name mentioned, but contained myself allowing only a slight smirk as Erskine offered the perfect description of him. A bully.

I watched curiously as the Colonel reached into the back of the truck they stood beside, grabbing something out of a crate before turning back to the group. I quickly realised what he was about to do as a small metal pin was discarded over his shoulder and he tossed the device towards the men.

"Grenade!" He yelled as the dud rolled across the grass, sending the men scattering in all directions. All except one. Scrawny little Steve Rogers launched himself on top of the grenade, surrounding the device with his body to minimise damage at the cost of his own life. My brow quirked slightly as I noticed Peggy take a few panicked steps towards the man, not realising that the grenade was a dummy. I covered my mouth to hide my knowing smile, watching as the rest of the recruits peered cautiously out of their hiding spots. Everyone had fallen into silence, waiting with baited breath as Peggy glanced at me, my smirk informing her what had happened. She frowned, resting her hands on her hips and tapping her foot against the grass as Rogers tentatively unfurled himself from his spot on the ground, glancing around in confusion. It was impossible to miss the glint of pride that flashed across Peggy's features as she regarded the man at her feet.

"Is this a test?" He queried, his panicked breathing beginning to slow. I took a few slow steps towards the Doctor and the Colonel, chuckling as Erskine shot him a 'told-you-so' look.

"He's still skinny." Colonel Phillips grumbled before turning on his heel and marching away. I approached the Doctor's side with a pleased smile.

"It's him, isn't it?" I asked, already knowing the answer I'd receive.

"If it's the last thing I ever do."

I hunched over my desk, my fingers rubbing circles into my temples as I squeezed my eyes shut. I'd been pouring over these notes for what felt like hours, the room growing dark around me as I worked. Colonel Phillips had grabbed me in passing earlier, loading my arms with manila files containing an excessive amount of German and Italian codes that he expected me to decipher and translate. While I was extremely good at the translating half of the work, the code-breaking part was giving me a bit more than a little trouble, and my lack of progress was beginning to drive me crazy. I groaned, dropping my head ungracefully onto the desk, not caring that it would most definitely leave a visible mark on my skin.

"Long day?" The door swung open behind me as Peggy entered our room, sliding her arms out of her jacket and slinging it onto her bed. I twisted in my seat, my lips pressing together in a pout as I released a distressed whine.

"The longest day of my life. When will it be over?" I complained, shoving the files away from me in disgust.

"It will be over as soon as you close those folders, come over here and tell me all about your glaringly obvious, and frankly adorable crush on Howard Stark. I straightened in my chair, freezing for a moment before turning back to my desk, busying myself with my folders.

"I don't know what you're talking about Peg," I replied in my most dismissive tone. My files were quickly snatched from beneath my hands and tucked away, despite my protests. She grabbed my hands, pulling me to my feet before leading me to her bed, grasping my shoulders and forcing me to sit.

"Evelyn Rose Moore, I will not accept your lies any longer." She scolded as she took a seat beside me. "Tell me the truth. You have feelings for him, don't you?" I narrowed my eyes at her, holding my ground as I refused to respond. If she didn't want to listen to my lies then I would just remain silent. We fell into an intense staring match, neither of us willing to relent as we held our ground against the other. I couldn't admit that I felt nothing because there was definitely something there. But I wasn't ready to consider the option that this something may hold romantic undertones. I held my own as long as I could, but eventually, I relented with a sigh, shaking my head as I considered what to say.

"Honestly Peg, I don't know what I feel." I chose honesty, realising that I sorely needed someone to talk to about this. "Yes, I enjoyed being around him and yes he is wonderfully charming. He smiles at me and my heart stutters, he touches me and leaves my skin tingling." I paused, blushing at the smirk creeping over Peggy's lips as I spoke. Perhaps a little less truth would be better. "He opens doors and he buys expensive food and it's all lovely and wonderful. But he does that for every woman. He lures them in with his kind acts and charming words... and then he bores of them and moves onto the next."

Even I didn't miss the slight tone of disappointment that accompanied my words, frowning as Peggy sighed, offering a sympathetic smile. I brushed off her response, shaking my head with a stern look.

"Yes, he is an arrogant sod who has a habit of charming every woman he passes, but I think perhaps there may be more to him that what the tabloids like to print," She suggested, disregarding the questioning way in which I raised my eyebrow at her. "I can't believe I'm saying this but perhaps if you give him a chance, he might surprise you, Eve."

"I find that very hard to believe," I laughed with a small shake of my head before I squared my shoulders and painted my face with determination. "I'm not falling for him Peg, and I'm not upset that he doesn't want me as more than a fling," I argued, my words sounding slightly surer than earlier. "I'm not interested in becoming another notch in Howard Starks' ridiculously expensive belt. I have far too much respect for myself to let that happen." Peggy nodded slowly, appearing thoughtful as she digested my words. She took a breath before scooting closer to me, locking my gaze with hers.

"You won't lose respect by admitting you care, Eve," She spoke softly, placing a comforting hand on my knee. "I know you would never let yourself be used and discarded like that, but it doesn't mean you're not allowed to care." I didn't respond in words, my shoulders deflating slightly as I realised she was right.

"Why does caring about people always get you hurt?" I sighed, chewing at my lip as I glanced sadly at her.

"You get hurt only by people who occupy a large part of your heart. The more it hurts, the more important they are." I considered her words for a moment before rolling my eyes with a smirk.

"Thanks, Shakespeare," I giggled as she batted me on the arm. "I think that's enough wise words for me today. My brain needs a rest."

"Nothing changes then." She quipped, prompting me to grab her pillow and swing it at her in retaliation. As much as her constant prying irritated me, she knew what she was talking about. Her words, as cryptic and laced with riddles as they were, had succeeded in putting my mind at ease. For now, at least.

 **So this is a very short chapter and I know literally nothing happens which is crap, but I promise there's some good stuff coming, including a bit more Howard/Eve! Please remember to review and let me know what you think about the story, the characters etc. Thanks! - E.H.**


	5. Chapter 5

I awoke to a strong sense of excitement and eagerness for what was sure to be an amusing day ahead, a sentiment that was shared between Peggy and me. We dressed quickly, both disregarding our standard issued uniform today as we climbed into trousers and cargo boots. The both of us had been called into Colonel Phillips office for a quick discussion the previous evening, arranged to inform us of a slight change in training plans for today. While the usual sergeants were still available to oversee the recruits, the Colonel had decided that he would prefer for Peggy and me to lead the training today, due to our experience and abilities in this particular area, specifically mine. Of course, we had gladly accepted our orders, looking forward to facing the reactions of the recruits in the morning. We were ready in record time, Peggy's hair pinned into an intricate and tidy style at the back of her head, whilst I opted for a more natural style, the front of my hair pulled away from my eyes and pinned into a tight twist, leaving the other half of my curls to fall messily onto my shoulders. I reasoned that it was likely going to end up a mess anyway, so I might as well not bother. I slipped my arms into my jacket, fastening the buttons down the front before shooting Peggy a smile. She followed my lead, buttoning her own jacket and heading to the door as I tailed her.

She offered me a grin as we approached the recruits, her hands clasped together behind her back as she sucked in a deep breath, scanning the men before us with a twitch of her lips.

"Would you care to do the honours?" She asked me as we approached.

"Oh absolutely," I chuckled, throwing my shoulders back and lifting my chin, picking up my pace as the recruits acknowledged our arrival. "Recruits! Attention!" My voice commanded, effectively herding the men into line where they waited quietly and patiently for their orders. I nodded appreciatively at their quick response to my instruction before politely allowing them to stand at ease.

"Todays' training is going to take a slight change of pace to previous days. Unfortunately, it will be just as strenuous, but it will also take at least a small amount of thought. I know this may seem daunting to some of you, having not accessed your brains for a while, but I trust you will all put in just as much effort as you have so far." The men all listened curiously, a few rolling their eyes at my jab yet still interested to find out what was in store for them this morning.

"Today we will be focusing on hand-to-hand combat," A few of the men perked up at this, most likely reminiscing on the various bar brawls they had engaged in. I quickly moved to correct their thinking. "This isn't going to compare you socking some fella in a back-alley bar while you're buzzed off your favourite booze. We want you to be better, smarter, and far more dangerous than that. Which is why you lucky boys have been assigned the SSR's most highly trained in hand-to-hand combat to teach you all you need to know." This comment elicited hushed yet excited whispers, both Peggy and I biting back our smiles as the men considered who might be training them. One man caught my attention as he stepped forward.

"Agent Moore, ma'am," He addressed me formally as I turned to face him, meeting the eyes of Steve Rogers, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Might I ask who it is that'll be training us today." I narrowed my eyes playfully, his logical mind jumping to the correct conclusion long before any of the other men.

"Of course, Rogers, you're looking at them," I replied simply, raising an expectant eyebrow as the men behind him fell into silence. He simply smirked, nodding silently as he fell back into line.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but are you saying that you will be training us today?" Another one of the soldiers asked warily, the rest of the men waiting expectantly for my answer.

"Is there a problem with that soldier?" I queried, crossing my arms over my chest and cocking my head to the side with a smile.

"No, not at all..." He hesitated, his gaze falling from mine as he wrung his hands together. "I just think most of the men here might be opposed to fighting a woman." He spoke as respectfully as he could, offering a small shrug before adding, "We wouldn't wanna hurt you."

I breathed a laugh, stepping forward and clapping a hand on his shoulder as I looked past him, addressing the men who watched on from behind.

"You needn't worry about Agent Carter and I. In fact, I can say with great certainty that we are far more competent fighters than most of you here." I received a few raised eyebrows and mumbles of disagreement at this, only fuelling my determination more.

"Hodge!" I called, motioning for my least favourite recruit to approach me, not missing the way he had loudly bragged about his long list of successful brawls earlier. "How about you show me what you can do since you seem to be so very confident in your abilities."

He hesitated uncharacteristically as he approached, stopping two feet or so away from me as he eyed me warily. "Ma'am...?"

"Hit me, Hodge," I ordered simply, "Or, try to. Please don't hold back."

He glanced back nervously over his shoulder at his comrades behind him, receiving only small shrugs and looks of defeat. Clearly, as much as he liked to talk a big talk, and very obviously hated me, the prospect that he might actually succeed in physically hurting me had him nervous. He turned back to me, sighing as he fell into a fighting stance, holding his fists up in front of him as he prepared to strike. He threw a half-hearted punch in my direction, which I batted away with an exasperated sigh.

"What did I say, Hodge? Don't. Hold. Back." I spoke slowly and with command, noticing how his jaw clenched as I spoke. He huffed out a breath, raising his fists before him once again as he squared his shoulders. This time he threw his weight into the punch, launching his fist towards me with renewed strength and purpose. I smiled at his effort and the nervous shifting of the men behind him. Unfortunately, the power behind his punch made little difference to its effectiveness, only serving to throw him slightly off balance as I stepped to the left, his fist sailing past me. I grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm uncomfortably as I swept my leg towards the back of his calves. My grip on his arm had thrown him off balance, meaning one fell swoop of my leg was all it took to send him crashing to the ground. His arm was still firmly grasped in my hand as I dropped to one knee beside him, using my free forearm to press down on his throat, successfully pinning him and leaving him at my mercy. He could do nothing more than stare up at me with wide eyes, still stunned by my actions and how easily I had taken him down. I remained professional, fighting off my grin as I arched an eyebrow at his stunned form.

"Unfortunately, Gilmore, you're dead." I sighed, releasing him from my hold and climbing to my feet as I offered him a hand. He took it gratefully if with a little embarrassment, allowing me to tug him to his feet before brushing off his uniform and no doubt attempting to re-piece what was left of his dignity. "If a hundred-pound woman can do that, imagine what a German soldier could do."

A slow clap from behind caught my attention as I twisted towards the source of the noise. I groaned internally as I noticed a familiar face approaching.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side Agent Moore," Howard grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets as he smirked at me, shooting a quick wink. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I might have a quick word?" I bit my tongue, fighting the urge to kick him before turning back to the recruits.

"Join with a partner, Agent Carter will take it from here," I instructed, nodding quickly at Peggy as I avoided meeting her eye before turning towards Howard, my steps quick yet controlled as I hurried to get this over with. He strolled casually behind me as I put enough distance between myself and the recruits to keep our words private, turning to face him once I deemed us far enough away. I watched him expectantly, waiting for him to break the silence between us and tell me what the hell he wanted. He remained silent, eyeing my outfit with an amused smirk as he reached out his hand, brushing away a blade of grass that had somehow ended up tangled in my hair during mine and Hodges' scuffle. I rolled my eyes, waving away his hand with a huff as I rested my hands on my hips.

"Howard." His name on my lips caught his attention as his eyes flicked away from my body and back to my eyes. I widened my eyes at him, shaking my head as he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"So, have you put any more consideration into my offer of dancing?" I glared at him in stunned silence, shaking my head as I ground my teeth.

"You interrupted training to ask me to go dancing with you?" My irritation was plain on my face, further confirmed by the way I practically spat out the words.

"No, but I thought what the heck, I'm nothing if not persistent." His response didn't surprise me, only managing to irk me even more.

"Yes, I had noticed," I groaned, earning another smirk from him as he lounged back against the building, his hands casually rested in his pockets. His blasé attitude was grinding at me, leaving me eager to get back to training and as far away from him as possible.

He reached out to me, taking one of my loose curls in his hand and twisting it gently around his finger as he observed it with a thoughtful smile, his hand brushing my collarbone in passing.

"Your hair looks pretty like this. You should wear it loose more often." I frowned with a grumble, batting away his hand and ignoring the way he rolled his eyes as I shot a quick glance over my shoulder to see if anyone had noticed his actions.

"Howard, what do you want?"

"I wanted to pick your brain on something," He explained, eliciting a raised brow and a look that told him to continue. He sure knew how to catch my attention. "Perhaps over dinner?"

My narrowed eyes gave him all the answer he needed as he chuckled quietly, raising his hands in acceptance of my refusal. Though as he said, he was nothing if not persistent.

"How about we compromise with a few drinks instead?" He suggested, noticing my resolve crumble as I considered his offer, if for nothing more than to end this interaction.

"Fine, if I say yes will you go away?" I barked in exasperation, a smile lighting up his face.

"I won't bother you for a moment. It'll be like I don't even exist." He promised with a hand raised in pledge.

"If only." I groaned, accepting the arrangement and turning to leave.

"Aww c'mon Eve, you don't mean that. You'd miss me too much." He called after me as I continued to walk away, shaking my head as a smile crept onto my lips. As much as I wanted to deny it, he was right.

"I'll pick you up this evening around seven." He called out once again, causing me to cringe at his loud announcement that the recruits, and Peggy, surely would have heard. I waved a dismissive hand in acknowledgment as I returned to the recruits, all of whom were heavily engaged in their training. Excellent, now I had to spend yet another evening with Howard Stark. I argued that this was becoming far too frequent for my liking, but a voice in the back of my mind refuted my claims, noting the way my heart beat just that little bit faster when he looked at me, and how I had already planned in my head to wear my hair down later. Damn my emotions.

The rest of the days training went well, most of the men picking up our instruction quickly and easily. Some had needed a little extra direction, which Peggy and I gladly offered, taking them step-by-step through the best ways to handle and respond to each different attack. I had to admit, I had enjoyed fighting with the men much more than I probably should have, a sentiment I could tell was mirrored by Peggy. Once they'd finally loosened up about the fact they were fighting against and being trained by women, the recruits had improved exponentially, throwing themselves into the training with just as much vigour and dedication as we could have hoped for. I smiled as I noticed Hodge successfully carry out the same maneuver that I had earlier, bringing his opponent to the ground with ease, a satisfied smirk on his face as he noticed me nod approvingly in his direction.

I glanced down at my wrist, turning to Peggy and tapping at my watches face to indicate the time, to which she nodded in agreement. My attention returned to the recruits, holding my hand up to signify that they should stop.

"I think that's enough for today," I called out as they dropped their fighting stances, catching their breath as they turned to face me. "Every one of you has done exceptionally well today, I'm very impressed." They all appeared surprisingly pleased by my rare show of commendation, something which I didn't too often award.

"Don't forget what you've learned today, it could save your life." I paused before focusing my attention on one recruit in particular. "Hodge, come here." He approached me, slightly less anxiously than earlier, yet still carrying a hint of caution in his movements.

"I'd like to give you a chance to redeem yourself after your spectacular failure earlier," I explained, and a smile flashed across his lips, clearly much more confident than he had been a few hours ago. I batted my eyelashes, brushing my hair off my shoulder with a smile. "If you can sweep me off my feet, I'll allow your weekend pass to extend into Monday."

He laughed at my suggestive choice of words, the prospect of an extra day off training far too good to miss out on. He nodded in agreement, taking a small step back before falling into a fighting stance. I slipped my jacket off my shoulders, flinging it away from us and quickly mirroring his movements. I grinned at the tense silence that had descended on the group, all watching on in anticipation as they waited for one of us to make the first move. As I had nothing but patience, and Hodge was a brute of a man, he attacked first, predictably swinging his fist at me which I lazily dodged. I released a low laugh as he swung back around to face me.

"You're going to have to do better than that."

My words sparked something in him as he rushed forward, managing to grasp my wrist as I held it defensively in front of me. He twisted it in his grip, bringing my arm behind my back in an attempt to pin me in place. Luckily, I was far nimbler than he had anticipated, turning expertly and ducking under his arm, successfully freeing myself from his hold and delivering a quick elbow to his stomach. He grunted as I knocked the air out of him, stalling only momentarily before returning to our spar.

He threw another punch at me in the same way as he had earlier, prompting me to grab his arm and attempt the same take-down. Unfortunately, it seemed that over the last few hours, Hodge had grown some semblance of a brain, anticipating my response. He easily dodged my leg, turning my advantage back on me as he spun in a far more calculated and graceful way than one would have ever expected a man of his size and stature to be capable of. Somehow, he managed to slip from my grasp, my arm becoming trapped in his strong grip as he swept his leg under mine. I toppled backward, landing on my back with a hard thud, the wind knocked out of me as I spluttered out a cough. While I was stunned by how he had actually managed to take me down, I was immensely pleased by how much he had improved in such a short amount of time. Of course, it wouldn't have been so easy for him if I hadn't gotten so cocky. Though my failure didn't bother me as much as it may have normally.

I heard a few gasps from the recruits as they observed me in my position on the ground. Hodges' eyes had grown wide, his success overshadowed by the fear that had washed over him in that moment. My expression of shock quickly dissipated, replaced by one of amusement as I barked out a laugh, coughing slightly as my lungs grasped to reclaim the air that had been knocked out of me as I hit the ground. I practically felt the relief leave Hodge as he noticed my amusement, gladly taking the hand he held out for me and allowing myself to be hauled to my feet. I clapped a congratulatory hand on his shoulder, sending him a wide grin before offering my hand. He accepted my gesture with a firm shake before releasing my hand and taking a small step back.

"Well done." I praised quietly.

"Thank you, ma'am." He responded proudly, clasping his hands together behind his back with a respectful nod.

"If you all fight like that, the Germans won't stand a chance." I practically beamed, a sentiment which the recruits mirrored as their anxieties over my safety waned. "I think you've all earned a break. The rest of the afternoon is yours to do with as you please." A few appreciative cheers and rounds of laughter spread amongst the soldiers, all grateful to be granted a welcome rest. "Get out of here before I change my mind." I called out to them, receiving a few 'yes ma'am's' and sincere nods of thanks. I watched them leave before turning back to Peggy, who watched me with an arched brow.

"What's going on Eve, not on your A-game today." She smirked as I approached her. I frowned, reaching up to rub at my aching shoulder, rolling it slightly to relieve the ache from where I had landed on it.

"He got lucky," I grumbled, my faux annoyance soon breaking as I allowed myself a small smirk. She threw her head back in laughter, squeezing my injured shoulder as I winced.

"Ah of course, so it wasn't to do with the fact your mind is elsewhere? And by elsewhere I mean stuck on Howard Stark." I narrowed my eyes at her comment as she batted her lashes at me innocently, a smirk playing on her lips. "Come on let's go get something to eat and you can tell me all about what Stark wanted earlier." I groaned, having forgotten the fact that it was arranged for Howard and I to have drinks later, a piece of news I wasn't at all eager to tell Peggy about.

"Perhaps it won't be as terrible as you think," Peggy suggested hopefully, her face not quite conveying the same certainty that her voice did. "There's always a chance he actually does just need your help with something..." I shot her a dubious look, not convinced.

"And he couldn't do that in a professional setting?" I inquired, chuckling at the way Peggy's face contorted as she shrugged her shoulders. I turned to face the mirror, pulling my brush through my hair before smoothing out my curls. I'd pulled a small piece of hair from either side of my face, twirling and securing them into perfect barrel curls. I admired myself for a moment, biting my lip as I fiddled with a curl that hung loosely over my shoulder. I twisted it around my finger in the same way as Howard had earlier, recalling the quick flutter of my heart whilst his hand had ghosted past my collarbone. Every minute I spent with him on my mind successfully chipped away at my resolve, my arguments for why I couldn't stand him growing weaker day-by-day. It wasn't that he had done wrong by me. In fact, he had been nothing but wonderful to me since the day we had met. Yes, he had flirted and teased me mercilessly, which was beyond irritating. But his actions hadn't been anything more than the playful advances that you would expect from him, never pushing me into enduring anything that he thought might upset me. Whilst I wasn't about to declare my love for the man or hop into bed with him, perhaps I could afford to loosen up a little. After all, I could use another friend around here. My train of thought was cut off as I spotted Peggy in my reflection where she leaned over my shoulder.

"Here," She handed me a small golden tube, a kind smile on her lips. "You're not Evelyn Moore without a splash of colour."

I nodded in agreement, gratefully taking the tube from her, removing the cap and twisting the base. I applied the ruby lipstick carefully and to perfection, rubbing my lips together before popping them apart. My mouth quirked at my reflection as I looked up to meet Peggy's eye.

"How do I look?" I asked, blowing her a kiss.

"Like you could rule the world." She responded, pulling me to my feet and holding me at arm's length, scanning my outfit. I'd spend far too long pouring over the limited clothes I had, eventually settling on Peggy's choice. It was an emerald green button-up dress with a floaty skirt which fell to just below my knee, and a small bow which fastened at the collar. She nodded in approval before brushing my shoulders and stepping back with a proud smile. "My little Eve, all grown up."

I frowned, turning away from her and grabbing my coat and bag from where they lay on the bed before slipping my feet into a pair of dark brown lace-up brogue heels. My watch told me it was 6:50 pm, and knowing Howard that meant he would already be waiting patiently outside. If nothing else, you could always depend on him to be on time. I slipped my arms into my coat, slinging my bag over my shoulder and heading for the door.

"Enjoy your date," Peggy commented as I passed, wiggling her eyebrows and sending me a suggestive wink.

"It isn't a date." I sang with an annoyed smile, narrowing my eyes at her over my shoulder. I breezed through the door, allowing it to close behind me by itself.

"Give him hell!" Her voice carried through the gap in the doorway before it closed, clicking shut behind me and muffling her entertained giggles.

"Howard Stark," I smiled as I addressed him, approaching where he stood with an air of confidence. I paused a few steps away, watching him through my lashes as I rested one hand on my hip. He clearly hadn't noticed me approaching before I spoke as he jumped to face me, quickly recognising my voice and shooting me a dazzling grin.

"Evelyn Moore," he spoke slowly, dragging my name out on his lips as he shoved his hands in his pockets and sauntered towards me. He paused before reaching me, his eyes scanning the length of my body with a quirked eyebrow. The soft sigh that floated from his lips sent a chill through my bones and I swallowed thickly as his eyes met mine. "You've never looked more beautiful."

I didn't even try to fight the blush that flooded my cheeks, unable to avert my gaze despite my emotions showing clear as day on my face. I didn't mind him seeing this time, and that fact seemed to please him to no end. I suppose allowing myself to enjoy his company wouldn't bring the world crashing down around me.

"Thank you," my gaze fell momentarily as my lips twitched into a smile, "You don't look so bad yourself, just..." I started, reaching out and grabbing his tie before straightening it and smoothing it back into his waistcoat. "Perfect."

If he was surprised by my uncharacteristically bold act of affection, he didn't let it show, simply slipping his hand into mine and directing me to the car. I climbed in, making myself comfortable as he carried us away from the camp, once again. We spent the beginning of the ride engaging in quiet conversation, nothing too in depth, just general chit-chat. Eventually, we faded into silence, not feeling the need to talk as we simply enjoyed each other's presence. I watched Howard's fingers as they tapped rhythmically against the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road apart from the few times he glanced over at me. His eyes drifted over as I watched him, doing a quick double take before a grin spread across his face. I sat up in my seat, narrowing my eyes as he chewed his lip to fight his smile.

"You wore your hair down." He stated simply, flicking his gaze in my direction as I diverted my eyes from his, a smile pulling at my lips.

"I did," I replied quietly, watching him through slightly hooded lids. He said no more, just nodded gently, a knowing look on his expression. He knew as well as I did that I had worn my hair loose because I knew he liked it that way. Not that I would ever admit that out loud, as admitting it to myself was a big enough step in my book.

The rest of the journey flew by, the sun dipping below the horizon and giving way to the silver glow of the moon. I'd always loved the stars, spending many a night lounging in my childhood garden with my family.

"Don't you think the stars are beautiful?" I muttered, more to myself than to Howard, though he regarded my words with a quick glance out of the window.

"Yeah, I suppose they are." He replied with a shrug, "Don't get to see much of them from the city." I frowned, glad I hadn't spent my childhood in the middle of the city, the lights blinding the sky and masking the stars.

"You can see them perfectly from my garden back in England." I divulged, Howard's raised brow pausing me for a moment.

"Wait, I thought you lived in London?" He queried glancing over at me for an answer.

"I didn't grow up there, I grew up in a small town in Wiltshire, on a farm in the countryside."

"You? A farm girl?" He seemed amused by the revelation, casting a disbelieving glance in my direction before turning back to the road with a quiet hum. "Learn somethin' new every day."

"We used to sit together on the grass during summer nights, my mother and father, my sister, my brother and I. We'd point at the constellations and my father would tell us their names. He knew them all without fail, though I suppose he could have been making their names up for all I knew. Either way, it always fascinated me. If ever I was upset or had argued with my siblings, I'd look up into the stars and remind myself of how terrifyingly small we are, and how silly my problems seemed in the grand scheme of things."

"Do you miss it? England? Your home?" I dropped my head to the side, offering him a sad smile and a nod.

"Every day. Sometimes I look at the sky and pretend I'm back there, but it's never the same."

"Perhaps I could visit someday? You could show me how the stars look from your garden." He smiled, his eyes briefly leaving the road as he studied me.

"Perhaps." I agreed, already enjoying the thought of laying in the cool grass beside him, naming the constellations as he intermittently cut in with sarcastic comments. We fell into silence once again, my focus returning to the stars as my mind wandered.

It wasn't long before the car was rolling to a stop and we were climbing out, heading towards a nearby bar. Thankfully for my sanity, it wasn't a noisy bar, full of drunken brutes and loose women. It was reasonably quiet as we entered, most of the patrons engaging in polite conversation as they sipped at their drinks. I followed quietly behind Howard as he led me to the bar, ordering two drinks without bothering to ask my preference. I didn't mind though, gratefully taking the drink from him and allowing him to direct me to an empty booth, sliding into the chair opposite me as I took a sip of my drink. I raised a brow at the fruity cocktail he had ordered for me, rolling my eyes at his obvious assumptions about my tastes as a woman. I eyed the whiskey in his own glass, much preferring to have that rather than this blended fruit monstrosity.

"That was terrifyingly impressive earlier, by the way. I don't think I've ever seen a woman fight like that." Howard commented, referring to what he'd witnessed this morning between myself and Hodge. "Makes me wonder what else you can do with those hands." He winked, his mouth pulling up into a lopsided grin, probably hoping his suggestive comment would reduce me to a blushing flustered mess. Unfortunately, I wasn't planning on making it that easy for him.

"Perhaps I could show you someday," I replied, my expression conveying just a hint of flirtation as I glanced over at him through dark lashes. My elbow came to rest on the table, a strand of blonde twisting around my finger as my lips twitched into a smile. "if you're lucky."

He didn't allow even a hint of surprise to gain place on his expression, seeming quietly impressed by my quick and collected response. I sipped at my drink as we watched each other carefully.

"I believe we make our own luck." I smiled at his confident reply, leaning back in my seat as I considered the man across from me. What on earth was I getting myself into? I quickly diverted the topic of conversation, curious to discover what it was he had so urgently wanted to talk to me about.

"You said you wanted my help with something?" I asked, arching my brow in expectance.

"I did," He smiled, placing his glass back on the table and rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "What's your opinion on beards? I was thinking I might try and start a new trend. I know they're not considered especially dignified but I figured if anyone could make them fashionable, it's me."

I frowned at his response, plastering a thoughtful expression on my face before crinkling my nose in distaste.

"No, no beard," I replied simply, before leaning forward on the table. "Now, what did you actually want to talk to me about." He grinned, resting on his elbows as he leaned closer.

"You don't miss a thing do you, Moore." I smiled sweetly with a nod, resting my chin in my hands as I waited for him to fill me in. "I want your opinion on a new venture I'm considering."

"You want my opinion? Why?" I frowned in confusion, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back in my chair.

"Because you're an incredibly smart woman and I value your opinion above all else." I was slightly taken aback by his sincere confession, the corner of my mouth quirking up in a smile.

"Go on."

"You ever been to Montenegro?" My face remained expressionless as I simply blinked in response. He nodded in understanding. "Right, stupid question. Anyway, did you ever hear about my flying car?"

"The one that can't actually fly?" I confirmed and he frowned, a pout on his lips.

"Yes. That one." His defeated tone elicited a laugh from me, which I quickly bit back, waving an apology as I urged him to continue. "Well, a possible future associate in the Bay of Kotor has made me a great offer that might help the idea progress in a slightly more successful direction. They wanna work with me on somethin' big Eve, but it's a risky deal, and I don't know what to do." I considered what he'd said for a moment before frowning.

"You know I have absolutely no experience with business Howard, I don't know if I can offer you the best advice here." I shrugged apologetically.

"You don't need business experience, I just need your honest first impression from what I've just told you. I need that expert female intuition of yours." He practically pleaded, reaching across the table to place his hand over mine. I dropped my shoulders, blowing out a puff of air as I thought.

"Well you haven't given me much to go on, at all, but I suppose... do you trust this possible associate?"

"Not one bit." He replied quickly.

"Is he smarter than you?" I inquired with a small smirk.

"Not even close." He grinned, an expression I quickly mirrored, twisting my hand where it sat beneath his and closing my fingers around his palm.

"Then what do you have to lose?" My answer seemed to be what he was looking for, his concerns sated as he nodded thoughtfully.

"Is that all you wanted?" I asked, curious as to why he had dragged me all the way here for a conversation we could have had back at camp earlier. He took a breath, a slight flicker of worry in his eyes as he observed me carefully.

"No. There was something else." I waited patiently as he seemed to turn over his word in his mind, considering what he would say before he spoke. He took much longer than I had expected to form a sentence, clearly battling with his own mind to find the right words.

"If I agree to this deal, I'm going to need help. I can't do it alone." He began slowly, taking in my response as he spoke. "I'm going to need a partner, an associate of sorts."

"Howard, what are you asking?" His ability to skirt around the topic was causing me some confusion. I furrowed my eyebrows as I attempted to decipher where he was going with this.

"I want you to work with me. Now, I do just fine on my own most of the time, but even I make mistakes. I can't afford to make mistakes with this one, and I'm confident that would never happen with you by my side." I took a moment to absorb his proposition before I replied.

"You want me to be your associate?" I asked slowly, the idea seeming even crazier now that I repeated it back. "Why me?"

He frowned at my question, running his hands through his hair with a sigh.

"Why not you? Your intuition is always spot on, you're so unbelievably clever and you're not afraid to tell me when I'm doing something stupid. You know how I can be, once I get an idea in my head I can't stop myself. I need someone who isn't scared to stop me."

"So, you want me to babysit you while you work, so you don't screw things up?" He groaned at the way I'd misinterpreted his badly phrased words, clasping my hand between his and capturing my gaze with the most sincere expression I think I'd ever witnessed grace his features.

"I want you to work alongside me, as my partner. My equal."

"Your equal." I muttered, repeating the foreign phrase as I tested it out on my tongue.

"Is that so hard to believe?" He chuckled, releasing my hand and giving me a moment to think. "You wouldn't have to do anything just yet, it's going to be a long time before anything's set in stone. But I just wanted to let you know well in advance. Give you some time to think about it, get used to the idea." I nodded silently, his words replaying in my head as I attempted to comprehend the unbelievable offer he had just made.

"What would this partnership entail?" I don't think he had expected me to reply so soon, my words bringing his gaze flicking back up to meet mine.

"Completely equal division of power on all decisions made concerning the Montenegro deal. Your opinions and ideas hold just as much weight as mine. 50/50 stakes in any deals made, and nothing gets done without the others approval." I nodded in understanding, chewing at my lip as I considered the effect accepting this offer would have for me. On the one hand, it would be an incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity and I was stunned and flattered by the idea. On the other hand, it would mean working closely side-by-side with Howard on a near-daily basis. Though my recent acceptance of his annoyingly charming ways meant that the second factor didn't hold nearly as much weight as the first when it came to my decision.

"Okay. Why do you want to do this?"

"Because I think this would benefit both myself and Stark Industries. A strong, smart woman is exactly what my company needs to bring it into the future." Our eyes remained locked, both studying the other as I turned the idea over in my head. The silence dragged on for a few minutes, Howard running out of things to say whilst I battled with my subconscious over whether to accept his proposal.

"You don't have to make any decisions right away, of course, you can sleep on it or..." He quickly began to explain, but I cut him off before he could finish.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay, I'll work with you." This time it was Howard's turn to fall into stunned silence. Either he hadn't expected me to give him an answer this soon, or he hadn't expected me to accept the offer at all. He took a few moments to collect himself, turning over my simple response in his mind before a wide grin stretched across his lips. He held his hand out to me across the table and I quickly slipped my hand into his with a firm shake.

"Miss Evelyn Moore, welcome to Stark Industries."

 **Please remember to review and let me know what you think about the story, the characters etc. All the love! - E.H.**


	6. Chapter 6

"He did what?!" Peggy exclaimed, the news of my previous evening coming at as much of a surprise to her as it had been to me. I shrugged dramatically, offering her a wide-eyed and amused expression as she attempted to wrap her mind around my revelation. "I thought he might try to coerce you into going on a date or make a move on you. Not offer you a partnership in Stark Industries!"

"Trust me Peg, I was just as surprised as you are," I explained, dropping ungracefully onto my bed with a laugh, a thoughtful expression playing on my features. "It felt strange you know... to be looked in the eye by a man who actually sees your worth and considers you an equal."

"Well Howard is nothing if not progressive," Peggy responded, to which I nodded in agreement. "I don't think the fact you're a woman makes a blind bit of difference to him." She paused before adding, "Apart from the fact that he's determined to have you on his arm."

I rolled my eyes, waving away her laughter with a frown.

"In his dreams." I groaned, not missing the way my lips briefly twitched into a smile at the thought before I pulled them back into a straight line. The bed dipped slightly as Peggy dropped onto the sheets beside me, a wicked smile on her lips.

"Oh, I'm sure you are, every night." She winked and I grimaced, her comical kissy faces finally managing to coerce a smile from me as I clutched my stomach in a fit of giggles. I wiggled my eyebrows at her suggestively, succeeding in prolonging her laughter before swatting her on the arm and sitting up. I clapped my hands together, hopping up from the bed and crossing the room in search of my favourite shoes. I dropped to my knees, scrambling around under the desk where I had spotted the toe of my favourite heels poking out from under the mess. I slipped my feet into them, admiring the soft navy velvet which was accented by a feminine bow on the front.

"Come on Carter, get your shoes and your coat, we have a busy day ahead of us." I instructed as she groaned, dragging herself from my sheets with about as much enthusiasm as I'd often seen from Rogers when faced with yet another physical test. Speaking of which, I'd be sure to mention that particular recruit today. Whilst my own love life may not be top notch, I prided myself on my ability to notice when two people held a flame for each other. As much as she wanted to deny it, I'd seen the hurried glances in his direction. And how could I miss the way she'd ran without a care towards him in panic at the prospect that he might get blown up. Unfortunately for her, she wouldn't be able to escape my prying curiosity for much longer.

I admired myself in the mirror, giving a quick twirl and grinning at the way my skirt flowed gracefully around me. I had picked out a particular favourite outfit of mine, something that was pretty and feminine, yet offered the comfort I would need for a long day in the City. I wore a navy skirt which fell to just below my knee, small pleats near the top meaning it flowed perfectly away from where it pinched in at my waist. Tucked into it was a pale blue blouse, buttoned up at the front and falling into a V, accented by a large collar which sat on my shoulders.

Whilst the weather had begun to deteriorate over the last week or so, the sun was still shining overhead, leading to my decision against a heavy coat as I grabbed a slightly less bulky jacket, matching the colour of my skirt. If I didn't need it I could always leave it in the car anyway. Peggy and I had been granted a couple of days' leave, one of which we were spending in New York, seeing the sights and perhaps enjoying a bit of window shopping. As I had expected, Peggy hadn't been as keen on the idea as I had, skeptical about the prospect of a "girl's day", as I had described it. Yet I had managed to convince her with the promise of paying for her lunch.

"Ready?" She called from behind me, slipping her bag over her arm as she waited by the door. I turned to her with an excited grin, slinging my bag over my shoulder before sending a quick nod. I practically skipped across the room, keen to spend a day away from the dirt and sweat of the barracks, savouring the scent of my perfume from where it lingered on my hair and clothes.

"Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" I exclaimed, clapping my hands together as we made our way across the barracks and towards the waiting car that Colonel Phillips had so kindly loaned us for the day. The raised eyebrow and wary expression I received in return told me that Peggy wasn't feeling so enthusiastic about our plans. "Oh come on Peg, we can have a lovely lunch in the city, do a bit of sightseeing, and maybe even get a bit of shopping done." I practically pleaded for her to show some excitement for the day ahead, finally coaxing a small sigh and a smile as she rolled her eyes at the way I batted my eyelids.

"Perhaps we could find you a pretty new dress to catch Steve Roger's eye..." I added as an afterthought, teasing as I tilted my head knowingly. Her eyes widened slightly as she registered what I was suggesting, her guard dropping only momentarily before she was once again the picture of composure.

"I'm quite sure I don't know what you're talking about," she argued, crossing her arms over her chest as she successfully retained a stoic expression. "Let's get going, shall we? Wouldn't want to waste a second of our highly anticipated 'girls day', would we." I grinned as she breezed past me, her reaction to my comment only serving to heighten my suspicions. I quickened my step to catch up with her as she slid gracefully into the driver's seat, a small chuckle escaping my lips as I thought forward in anticipation to what the day may hold.

"Keep up Evelyn!" Peggy called from ahead of me, smirking over her shoulder as I hurried along the street a little way behind her. I narrowed my eyes as I glared at her back, the tables having turned since this morning. While I was still very much enjoying my day, Peggy had taken a fair amount of amusement in my inability to keep up with her long strides and graceful weaving through the crowded city streets. While my shoes were beautiful, I had begun to regret my decisions as they pinched sorely at my toes, and along with the various shopping bags I clutched, had further hindered my ability to keep up with my friend.

"Peg!" I breathlessly called out as I eventually caught up to her, "perhaps it's time to stop for lunch, don't you think?" I gave my suggestion hopefully, my eyes pleading as I glanced over at her. She laughed, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Absolutely, I'm starving." She responded with a smile, my relief visible as I sighed out a laugh, linking my arm through hers as we journeyed through the city together.

Before long, we had arrived at our destination, taking a seat inside a small diner. Thankfully it wasn't too busy, with only a few others there with us, meaning we could finally enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. We quickly ordered our drinks and food, thankful for the chance to take the weight off our feet and relax. At least, I would be relaxed, unfortunately for Peggy, I wasn't planning on letting her off so easy.

"Margaret Carter," I began, leaning my elbows onto the table and resting my chin in my hands. She eyed me suspiciously at my use of her full name, clearly unsettled by the devious look I was currently sporting.

"Evelyn Moore," she countered warily, folding her arms across her chest in expectance of a conversation she wouldn't enjoy.

"So, tell me all about your undying love for Steve Rogers," I smirked, not one to beat around the bush and choosing to get straight to the point. She raised her eyebrows in response, keeping her stern glare firmly on me.

"I wasn't aware that I was in love with him." Her voice remained calm and steady, a hint of amusement lacing her words.

"You may not be aware of it but that doesn't mean everyone else is as oblivious, we can all see it Peg." I shrugged, offering a sympathetic smile, much to her displeasure.

"And who is 'we all'? I assume you mean just you."

"Come on Peg, everyone saw how you ran towards him when he jumped on that dummy grenade! Don't try and tell me you don't care for that man." She paused for a moment, clearly attempting to compose a good response to my comment, more than likely something to take attention away from her.

"You can be as smug as you like Evelyn, but don't think we didn't all see that lovely little moment between you and Howard," she had successfully u-turned the conversation, placing attention on me as I felt a panicked blush creep over my cheeks and I searched my mind for the moment she was speaking of. She leaned across the table, reaching out and taking a strand of my hair in her hand before twisting it gently around her finger, immediately alerting me to what she was referring to. "I certainly didn't see you complaining about Howard's fingers brushing past your cheek as he twisted you curls in his hand."

I batted her hand away, smoothing my hair back into place as I attempted to compose my flustered state. She clearly found amusement in my embarrassment as she released a loud laugh, earning a stern glare from me.

"I think we've talked enough about my love life," I grumbled, keen to get off the topic. "It's your turn now."

"Oh, so you consider Howard to be a part of your love life now?" My eyes widened as I realised how my words had only dug me deeper, a proud smirk on my friend's lips.

"That is absolutely not what I said!"

"Oh hush Evelyn, you know I'm just joking," she waved me off as our waitress placed our plates on the table before us, accepting our thanks before leaving us once again. "And anyway, you know that I am completely supportive of your decisions regarding Howard." I sighed, accepting defeat as Peggy somehow, once again, managed to tactfully steer the conversation away from herself and back onto me. I suppose I should be used to it by now.

The rest of our day passed uneventfully as we continued with our shopping and sightseeing. I had managed to convince Peggy to buy a new dress, which sported a low v-cut neck in a deep red. She had initially been against the idea, mostly due to my jokes regarding Rogers, however, she had eventually agreed that she looked great in it and so had bought it. I had also managed to pick up a few dresses, thoroughly making the most of the increased rate of pay I was receiving working for the SSR. We had taken a stroll along the Coney Island Pier, treating ourselves to some cotton candy and popcorn as we ambled around aimlessly, simply enjoying the feeling of being away from the camp.

While we both enjoyed our jobs immensely, it was difficult to forget the reasoning behind them. There was a war, a huge and terrifying war in which thousands of innocent men laid down their lives every day. It had far been too easy to push that fact to the back of my mind, throwing myself into training and research for project rebirth, allowing myself to live in blissful ignorance that the men I was training wouldn't surely die very soon. Being away from camp had given me a chance to appreciate the world I had known before the war had begun. I watched children laughing, pleading with their mothers to let them go on just one more fairground ride. Husbands and wives holding hands as they simply enjoyed each other's company, far away from the slaughter and death of the war that stretched on out across the water. Peggy had disappeared into the crowd, muttering something about finding some more cotton candy before she left me to people watch alone. My attention was drawn to a young couple, standing hand-in-hand just a few feet away from me. They were clearly in love, that could be seen simply by the way they looked at each other, but that wasn't what caught my attention. The man wore a uniform, fresh and clean, exactly how it should be before he is shipped off to the front lines. I felt my heart sink as I subtly eavesdropped on their conversation, my suspicions confirmed as they spoke quietly about his orders. The woman spoke hopefully, proud of her beau as she straightened out his collar with a sad smile. She told him how she would wait for him, and that when he returned they would be married. I admired her blind optimism, at least she might be able to allow it to carry her on after he left, however, I knew better. The likelihood was that she would never see him again, and this thought was what urged me away from them, turning my head away from the crowds and towards the water. It took a few deep breaths to force back the tears that threatened to spill over, glad when the couple had disappeared back into the crowd and out of sight.

"Are you okay Eve?" I was startled slightly as Peggy rejoined me, offering a piece of cotton candy my way which I gratefully accepted. "You look a little sad."

"I'm fine, just got lost in a daydream," I easily lied, forcing a convincing smile on my lips before stealing a little more cotton candy and popping it in my mouth, spinning on my heel to begin heading back towards the fair. "Shall we?"

The next few days seemed to drag as we spent many hours holed up in the offices digging through each of the recruits files, ensuring we selected the perfect man to undergo the project. Eventually, I had managed to escape, taking my papers with me, no longer capable of coping with the Colonel's ignorant remarks and Howard's furtive glances in my direction. As well as this, the offices had begun to feel stuffy and claustrophobic, putting me on edge and leading to more than one occasion of me snapping at one of my colleagues. I currently sat, cross-legged on the grass of the training field with papers spread haphazardly around me. While the open space gave me much more room to breathe, it hadn't helped my ability to think. I glanced down at the papers, the pages filled with neat calculations, messy scribbled notes bordering the edges around them. As we had reached the point of selecting our participant, it would be extremely helpful to have actually finished working out the calculations for the serum we would be using. I had taken the liberty of re-writing the calculations in a much neater format than I had been given, the mixture of Doctor Erskine and Howard's rushed scribbles proving too messy for my brain to handle. Unfortunately, I had made the mistake of leaving these notes unattended in the unlocked office, where Stark had managed to get his hands on them and add his opinions to the work. Hence why the page was now littered with chaotic annotations that frankly, I had a hard job even reading let alone understanding.

I scanned one of the pages again, groaning as I realised that none of the information was actually going in, before dropping it atop the pile and falling back onto the grass. It was early evening so even though the sun was beginning to wane, it still emitted a comfortable warmth. I closed my eyes, drinking in the quiet around me, the only audible sounds being that of the birds singing in the trees.

"Agent Moore," A voice queried from above me and I opened my eyes, squinting against the light to discern who had joined me. Once my eyes managed to focus to the bright sunlight, I smiled as Doctor Erskine watched me with a grin from above.

"Abe," I greeted, pushing myself back into a seated position as he dropped to the ground beside me, flicking through the mess of papers that surrounded us.

"Having a bit of trouble?" He asked with a chuckle as he noted my exhausted expression. I laughed in return, stretching out my arms with a groan as I pushed the calculations away from me.

"I just can not seem to work this out. There's just something that isn't making sense and nothing I do seems to be helping." He nodded thoughtfully as he observed the papers, holding one up and scanning its contents before handing it to me.

"You are thinking too hard fräulein, perhaps try taking a step back and re-evaluating what you know." I frowned, struggling to understand how his advice would help me. "Sometimes you must read between the lines to find the answer that you look for."

I considered his words for a moment, re-reading the notes I had studied for days, attempting to find something different that may help me to figure this out. I paused as I read one of Howard's notes again, a small scribble that spoke of how the subjects own DNA might react differently to the serum than another's. I grinned as the pieces fell into place, finally understanding the tweak we would need to make to the serum for it to be complete. I hurried up from my spot on the floor, gathering the papers in my hands before leaping to my feet and pulling the Doctor into a tight hug.

"You are a genius!" I exclaimed, waving the papers excitedly.

"I did not help at all, I simply offered my wisdom." He explained with a laugh.

"Well then, you are very wise," I rushed past him, clutching the papers in my hands as I headed back towards the office, throwing a quick wave and a thank you behind me at the doctor as my feet carried me away.

I practically fell through the door once I reached my destination, met with the confused stares of my colleagues as I rushed across the room. I completely by-passed Peggy and the Colonel as I made a bee-line for Howard, the only person I needed to explain my findings to.

"I've got it, I worked it out!" My words tumbled from my lips as I fought to catch my breath, thrusting the notes towards the man before resting a hand on my hip and blowing a stray hair out of my face.

"Slow down Eve," He laughed as he took the papers from me. "Worked what out?"

"The problem with the Serum," I grinned, feeling extremely proud at the expectant and impressed expression that painted his features. Clearly, I was enjoying the moment far too much as I had forgotten to continue speaking, leaving him without an explanation.

"Evelyn, would you care to explain or are you just going to stare at me all day?" He acted as though he was complaining, yet the slight quirk of his lips told me otherwise.

"Okay, so I've been struggling with this for days, attempting to work out what we needed to do the ensure the serum would work perfectly with the specific recruit that we select," I began, finally having caught my breath and composed myself.

"Go on…" Howard urged, leaning back on the desk behind him as he listened intently to my explanation.

"It was your note that made me realise it," I explained, directing him towards the messy handwriting near the bottom of the page. "You wrote that the serum had reacted differently to different DNA, meaning that it would not be tailored for any specific man, which could lead to a number of different uncontrollable outcomes. Which of course we do not want." He nodded in agreement, scanning the page before turning back to me.

"Right, we need to find a way to ensure that the serum will react in the way we want it to with the participants specific DNA. But how can we do that?"

"We incorporate their DNA into the serum." I explained simply, a thoughtful expression washing over Howard's face as he considered it.

"What did you have in mind?"

"We administer the serum in two parts. The first part intravenously, with none of the recruits DNA, followed by the second part administered orally, with the DNA assimilated." I paused, allowing him a moment to consider my proposition as I caught the expressions of my colleagues out of the corner of my eye, both watching on in confused silence. I also didn't miss the pointed look I seemed to receive from Peggy every time I was so much as in the same room as Howard. I turned back to face him, watching as he studied the calculations, muttering to himself as he attempted to discern if it would work.

"You know what," He began, glancing up from the papers to meet my eye, an excited smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "I think that might just work." I grinned in response, a mixture of pride and pure excitement filling me. He turned to the table, grabbing his own notes and adding them to mine before breezing past me towards the door.

"C'mon Moore, you're coming with me," He announced, gesturing over his shoulder for me to follow. "We have work to do." I gladly obliged, grabbing my bag I had abandoned in the chair earlier and hurrying after him.

"Have fun." Peggy offered a quiet but suggestive comment as I passed her, earning her a quick slap on the arm before I disappeared out of the room on my way to what would inevitably be a very long night.

We had been here for hours, or at least it felt like hours as darkness fallen outside the building, leaving us to work under the bright artificial lights of the lab.

"Run it again." Howard ordered with a sigh as he tugged his fingers through his hair in frustration. Thus far, every test we had carried out had proved unsuccessful, my plan struggling to find traction as the DNA refused to combine with the serum.

"It didn't work the last eight times, I don't think the ninth will end any better." I grumbled, turning back to the equipment and setting it up to run again.

"Then what do you suggest, Evelyn?" Howard snapped, rising from his seat and glaring in my direction. "Huh? This is your brilliant idea so how do you suggest we make it work?" I found myself taken aback by his attitude, never having experience him act in this way to me before. Though rather than upsetting me, it only served to fuel my building irritation from the failed tests.

"Do not snap at me Howard Stark." I warned, turning away from the equipment and taking a few steps towards him. "I simply offered a solution to a problem that you were unable to solve. The fact that it is not working is not my fault and I don't appreciate you taking that tone with me. Anyway, I thought you were supposed to be the genius, surely you can work it out yourself." I crossed my arms over my chest, calming my breathing to control my irritation. He deflated slightly as he sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly before glancing back at me.

"I'm sorry Eve, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that, I'm just frustrated." He apologised, shrugging his shoulders with the most pitiful puppy dog expression I had ever seen. There was every chance that it was a clever ploy to get me to forgive him, but if so, it worked. My annoyance instantly waned and my arms fell to my sides as I closed the space between us. I paused in front of him, considering my actions for a moment before I slipped my hand into his.

"We can work this out Howard," I spoke softly, meeting his eye with a determined gaze. "You are the cleverest man I have ever met, and if anyone can figure this out then it is you. I have every faith in you Howard Stark." He watched me carefully, digesting my words as we fell into silence. I suddenly realised how close we had gotten, with mere inches between us as we watched each other. Just as suddenly, I realised that I was okay with that, quite enjoying our closeness as I gently squeezed his hand in mine. What I wouldn't give to know what he was thinking in this moment. I mean, I'm sure I could have made an educated guess at most of it, namely the parts I wouldn't want to hear. Yet something told me that he thought differently about me. Whether it was my childish notions of fairytale romance that led me to believe this, I couldn't say, though a part of me believed that I was right and that something about him was different when it came to me.

My breath hitched in my throat as I was distracted from my thoughts by a gentle touch sweeping my hair behind my ear. I was suddenly aware of everything around me, from the warmth of his hand in mine to the steady beeping of the equipment behind us. I could have sworn that I could even hear the quiet buzzing of the electricity in the lights above us, yet despite this, I was still completely focused on the man before me. I noted how his gaze flicked from mine to my lips, and back again, as it so often did when we were together. There was no denying that he wanted to kiss me, and I was beginning to think that perhaps I would be inclined to let him. Unfortunately, neither of us got a chance to find out as a loud beeping from behind shocked us from our state as we were alerted that the test had completed once again.

We quickly stepped apart, placing some distance between us yet not breaking our gaze until I turned back to the machinery to remove the samples. Silence remained between us as I busied myself with the serum and Howard watched on intently, mentally going over the calculations in an attempt to figure out how we could make this work. Eventually, I felt his presence beside me, loosening my grip on the vials as he gently took them from my hands.

"We can work this out," He stated, mostly sure of himself yet looking to me for reassurance that it was possible. I offered a nod of agreement in return, squeezing his arm gently as he smiled, my simple act giving him all the reassurance he needed. With that, we got back to work.

I leaned back ungracefully in my chair, sighing in exhaustion as we ran the test for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening. By this point I had all but given up, retreating to the office chair that sat beside the worktop, distracting myself by attempting to balance various sized beakers on my head. Howard had barely noticed my distracted state, too busy pouring over notes and continually tweaking the serum to even find amusement in my childish antics. I watched him curiously, adjusting my position to ensure the glass beaker remained in its place balanced atop my head as I studied him. He looked older recently, fine lines and dark shadows forming around his eyes from what I guessed was lack of sleep. This project had taken it out of all of us, but none more than him. Whilst it couldn't be denied that he lived for the limelight, basking in the fame he experienced, he was not a bad man. And although he carried himself with an air of cheerful confidence, it was becoming easier and easier to see that this war had taken its toll. Because despite what many might think, he cared. He cared for every man who lost his life fighting this war. He cared for all of the women and children who were left alone as a result and he cared immensely for this project. We had continuously been told that this project would do great things, it would end this war sooner, and therefore we had given our all to see that it was completed. I found myself feeling proud of this man, a man whom only a few months ago I had held in high distaste. Now I looked at him, busy working away, his hair slightly disheveled and his tie sitting crooked, I saw someone who I knew I could, or already did, care for. He glanced over at me, a grin stretching across his lips as he took in the sight before him.

"Eve, why in gods name do you have a beaker on your head?" I suddenly realised that, in my distracted pondering, I had forgotten about my little circus act. I opened my mouth to reply but was cut off by the shrill beeping of the equipment in front of us, the alarming sound startling me slightly, sending the beaker tumbling to the ground with a loud smash, glass scattering across the floor. However, neither of us were interested in the mess I had just made as we analysed the information we had gathered from this last test. A simple sentence presented to us gave all the information we needed.

 _Assimilation Complete. Positive._

We glanced at each other with stunned expressions as our hopes were confirmed. We had managed to assimilate the serum and the DNA.

"We did it." I muttered absently, my attention still stuck on the results.

"You're damn right we did." Howard replied equally as stunned as I was. An excited grin formed on my lips, a laugh escaping as I turned to the man beside me, allowing him to pull me towards him in an elated hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, lifting me with ease off the ground before spinning us both in a circle. He laughed as he placed me back on the floor, releasing me from his grasp and taking a slightly awkward step back as he realised what he had just done. I chuckled as he rubbed his neck awkwardly, his gaze flicking between the equipment and me.

"I told you-you could figure it out." I praised, noting the slight glimmer in his eye as I watched him with pride.

" _We_ figured it out," He corrected, resting a gentle hand on my shoulder with a nod. "Together."

"I suppose I did help a bit…" I shrugged innocently before continuing, "Actually, I helped quite a lot, I think perhaps you might have had a mental breakdown if it weren't for me." He laughed a deep and genuine laugh as he threw an arm around my shoulder.

"Yeah yeah, Moore, I get it." He rolled his eyes, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with my statement. "C'mon, let's get out of here." I followed after him, taking the papers that he handed me before gathering my things and heading for the door. I paused as I grabbed the handle, glancing back over my shoulder.

"Whatever would you do without me Howard Stark?" I asked dramatically, grinning at him before swinging the door open and slipping through, leaving him behind to catch up.

"Let's hope I never have to find out."

 **Sorry, I took so long to update this one! Honestly, between my starting a new job and severe lack of motivation for life, it took me way too long to write this chapter. Either way, I hope you enjoyed it, keep favouriting and following so you're notified when I update, and trust me you're going to want to be notified for the next chapter ;) also please please review, tell me everything you think about this, i want to know what you think of Eve and her character/plot/personality, tell me what you think about Eve and Howard, let me know what you want to see happen or what you think will happen, anything!**

 **Thank you for reading, and stay tuned - E.H.**


	7. Chapter 7

I rubbed my eyes as I pulled myself up into a seated position, tugging my warm bedsheets around my shoulders to fend off the cold. My brain was still slightly fuzzy from waking up, therefore struggling to process the situation and discern the source of the irritatingly rhythmic tapping that had torn me from my peaceful slumber. It hadn't been the earliest hour when Peggy and I had finally managed to quit our gossiping and go to sleep, therefore I wasn't best pleased about being woken up at this hour. I glanced around, my mind slowly catching up to me as another tap sounded from the window, followed by another as tiny pebbles sailed through the air towards the glass. I groaned, expecting to be greeted by a young soldier, probably thick off cheap alcohol and feeling giddy from the dare his buddies and no doubt put him up to.

I reluctantly threw the sheets from my body, grabbing my night robe from where it had been slung haphazardly on the chair before draping it over my shoulders. I quickly tied it at the waist, yanking the knot closed a little harsher than was probably necessary before I headed for the door, taking care not to wake my sleeping roommate. Peggy had been under added stress lately with the recruits and project rebirth, and as much as she had tried to not let it show, I knew her better than she knew herself and she needed all the rest she could get right now.

I opened the door and stepped out onto into the cold, the rough wooden porch hard under my bare feet. I wasn't greeted by the sight of an intoxicated soldier as I'd expected, instead I narrowed my eyes as they fell upon an intoxicated Howard Stark, leaning up against yet another flashy car, a devious glint in his eye and a proud smirk on his lips.

"Eve…" he began, dropping the remaining stones to the floor and shoving his hands into his pockets with a pleased sigh.

"Howard." I retorted, not nearly as pleased as him, which I strongly hinted at by folding my arms over my chest and arching my eyebrows at the slight slur that graced my name.

"Did I wake you?"

"No, Howard, not at all. In fact, I often do my best thinking at 2:30 in the morning." Howard laughed as he threw his head back, clearly highly amused by my blatant sarcasm. I winced slightly at the noise, worried he might have woken Peggy. Thankfully, for both of us, she barely stirred from where she slept. I reached behind me, pulling the door closed with a click, just to be on the safe side. Glad that we hadn't disturbed her, I turned my attention back to the man before me, hardly even trying to hide the smile that was fighting for a place on my lips.

"You have a one of a kind sense of humour, Moore." He pushed himself from the side of the car and slowly made his way over to me, stumbling slightly as he reached out to the porch fence to steady himself. I gripped the inside of my own arms tightly, reminding myself that this man was a womaniser, and this was the worst possible situation I could get myself into right now. I knew it, and he knew I knew it. So why did I feel my traitorous heart hammering frantically in my chest as he moved close enough for me to smell his cologne?

"What do you want Howard?" I asked, feigning irritation at his dramatic pouting, like a puppy pining for my attention. I ignored the way the warm musky scent of his cologne mingled perfectly with the sweet smell of the whiskey on his breath, sending a pleasant buzzing throughout my body.

"I'm bored. I can't sleep, and I have an idea." He wrapped his arm around the wooden porch pillar, swaying slightly as he rested his cheek against it and glanced up at me through heavy eyelashes and glazed eyes.

"I am almost one hundred percent sure that I don't want to hear your idea, Howard. You've been drinking. Go home, and go to bed." He pouted again before his lips quickly morphed into a smirk.

"What?" I questioned, my eyebrows furrowing.

"Do you ever have fun?"

"I have fun!" I protested.

"When? When was the last time you had fun?" I opened my mouth to fire a sarcastic response before realising I didn't actually remember the last time I hadn't been completely absorbed by work or study. Howard's grin began to spread as my silence hung in the air, answering his question as I sighed in defeat.

"I'm a busy woman, Howard. You don't earn respect by going off gallivanting in the middle of the night."

"I respect you." His words caught me off guard and I felt a glowing heat spread across my cheeks, thanking the darkness of the night for masking my little show of emotion.

"Well, thank you." I stuttered out, chewing on my lip, not knowing what else there was to say. I had been furious and exhausted when he'd disturbed my sleep, yet now I felt as though I could happily converse with this annoying and intoxicated man until the sun came up.

After a few moments, Howard pushed himself away from the pillar and stepped closer to me, forcing me to tilt my head back slightly to meet his eyes. He peered into the window and nodded at Peggy who still slept soundly before turning back to me.

"You need to have some fun, who knows, maybe tonight will result in a life changing epiphany." I rolled my eyes at his dramatic comment, looking back to see he was smiling that wicked smile and holding out his hand.

"Come on, Evelyn Moore. Let's cause some trouble."

I hesitated for a moment before my resistance dissolved and I rested my hand in his warm palm.

"You're going to be the death of me, Howard Stark." I muttered.

"Maybe," He replied, with a passionate twinkle in his eye that offered both amusement and sincerity. "But wouldn't it be the most exquisite form of self-destruction?"

His earnest words and soft tone left me, once again, stunned into silence. We observed each other carefully as he held my gaze with an intense interest, waiting patiently for me to agree to run away with him into the night. I allowed myself a small smirk, taking a step towards him and closing the space between us. He released a barely audible gasp as I removed my hand from his, brushing my fingertips gently up his arm, no more than a few inches between us where we stood.

"Come on then Stark, show me how to have some fun." My voice was barely above a whisper as I smirked, an expression he quickly matched with wide eyes as he registered my words. It took me a few seconds to realise how suggestive my comment had actually sounded, my smile slipping from my face as I bowed my head and took a step back, excusing myself quickly to hurry back inside and change. I donned a far more respectable outfit, consisting of a beige wool skirt with a mustard cropped sleeve jumper tucked in, paired with my comfortable daily wear brogue heels. I considered pinning my hair back a bit tidier, but the concerning muffled bangs and scuffles coming from Howard outside meant I didn't have time. I decided to simply pull a brush through it and leave it as it was. I slipped back out and closed the door quietly behind me, rushing past him towards his car.

I ignored his amused chuckle as I pulled open the passenger door before pausing, a thought crossing my mind as I glanced back to Howard.

"Hang on… did you drive here?" I asked with a puzzled look.

"No, I walked and pulled the car along behind me…" he commented with a frown and a sarcastic eye roll. I released an exasperated sigh, slamming the door shut and rounding the car, placing myself between him and the driver's door.

"How in the hell did you make it here alive in this state?!" I exclaimed, batting away his hand as he ignored me and reached out for the handle. "Oh, no no, I am not giving you control of a vehicle in which I am seated."

"It was an emergency Eve! I didn't crash, did I?!" He flailed his arms dramatically over his head, stepping back with a frown and resting his hands on his hips.

"Waking me up in the middle of the night to go on an adventure is an emergency…? And no, the fact that you didn't crash is a miracle in itself." I arched my brow in disbelief at the smirk that tugged on his lips.

"Yes. If we don't hurry up and do something, your life is going to pass you by in an incredibly boring haze." He explained in complete seriousness before reaching forward and brushing my hair behind my ear. "I'm here to save your life Eve."

My breath hitched in my throat, his fingers leaving a burning trail over my ear as they grazed the skin. I fought to steady my breathing as I pressed my back against the car, noticing his eyes flick from mine, down to my lips and back again. I quickly composed myself, dismissing the way my legs shook beneath me.

"I think you should have more concern for your own life right now Howard Stark." He raised his brow in question, his hand dropping from my face and brushing down my arm before coming to a stop intertwined with my fingers. "Driving here in your state might not have killed you. But I just might."

I quickly untangled my fingers from his, clenching and straightening my hand to alleviate the warm tingling that spread to the tips of my fingers. He frowned slightly, but couldn't hide the grin at my weak threat.

"You. Passenger seat. Now." I instructed, jabbing a finger towards the door and ignoring his protests.

"Oh no, absolutely not. You are not driving my car. Can you even drive?" He argued with a pout, brandishing a finger at me.

"Of course I can. Probably a darn sight better than you're capable of at the moment. Now get in and shut up." He eventually relented, climbing into the passenger seat with a huff as I grinned at my success.

I quickly started the ignition, pulling away smoothly and hurrying out of camp, keen to escape any prying eyes that may happen to be awake at this hour. We fell into silence as I followed the long and winding path away from Camp Lehigh and into the countryside, my attention fixed on the road. Despite my attempts to ignore him, I couldn't miss the way Howard watched me as I drove, his attention fixed on my face.

"Howard, will you please stop that." I snapped, not sparing him a glance as I spoke.

"Stop what?" He chuckled, not even trying to hide the fact he'd been staring.

"Stop staring at me, it's very off putting." I frowned, glancing towards him and shooting him a glare.

"I've told you before Eve, you're beautiful, I honestly can't help but stare." A warm blush flooded my skin at his unrestrained comment, chewing my cheek in an effort to bite back my smile. "Plus, something about you driving my car is strangely attractive." I breathed out a laugh as he chuckled beside me, reaching over and brushing a stray curl off my shoulder. I almost gasped at the contact between his fingers and my neck, quickly batting away his hand.

"Howard, I swear to god, you are going to make me crash this car." I scolded as he raised his hands in defeat with a smile.

"I didn't realise my touch had such a profound effect on you." He joked with a wink as I pouted in disagreement. As much as I hated to admit it, his touch did have an effect on me, often leaving me fighting back a blush and struggling to control my racing heart. I bit my lip, chancing a glance over at him and briefly meeting his eye. I chastised myself for the way my eyes flickered to his lips, a brief sense of longing tugging at my heart. I quickly blinked away my thoughts, turning back to the road with a quiet cough.

"So, where are we actually going?" I queried, successfully turning the conversation to something a little less distracting. He grinned, picking up on my eagerness to detour from the route that our conversation was heading down.

"Just keep going straight, I'll tell you when we need to turn." I nodded silently, accepting his directions as we continued on our way. The car sunk into a comfortable silence as we drove, my attention focused on the unfamiliar road as Howard intermittently sipped from the small metal hip flask he clutched protectively in his hand.

"Go left here!" He suddenly yelled, about two seconds before we reached the turning, causing me to slam on the brakes and skid around the corner at the last minute.

"A bit of advanced warning would be great next time Howard!" I complained as he laughed, taking another swig from his flask before offering it to me. I politely declined with a frown, batting the drink away as he shrugged. I glanced around me, attempting to discern our location as I continued to drive, a small row of houses growing into view along with a large stone building with towering windows. I leaned forward in my seat to get a better view of the approaching buildings, the fast-moving river below us rippling and rushing over the rocks.

"Pull in over here." Howard commented quietly, pointing towards a small dirt layby at the side of the road. I pulled in slowly, grinding to a halt and killing the engine.

"Where are we?" I asked curiously, receiving only the ghost of a smile in response before he hopped out of the car gestured for me to follow. I frowned, pushing open my door and climbing out before slamming it shut behind me. "Howard what are we doing here?"

He ignored my questions, simply raising a finger to his lips and hushing me before offering his hand out with a smile. My brows furrowed into a frown, a pout on my lips as I considered him for a second before reluctantly taking his hand. I was quickly tugged forward, Howard positioning me in front of him and bringing his hands up to my face to cover my eyes.

"Howard, what on earth..." I protested before he cut me off.

"Eve stop talking," I reached up to grab his wrists with the intent of removing them from my eyes before my actions were halted as I froze. "Just trust me." His voice was barely above a whisper, his breath ghosting over my cheek as he spoke, his lips only inches from my ear. My breath hitched in my throat, my body unwilling to breathe lest it broke the spell that had been cast over us in that moment.

"Okay." I muttered, my hands slipping from his wrists and falling to my sides as a quiet but pleased chuckle echoed through the space between us. He nudged me slightly, pushing me forward as I blindly allowed him to direct me to an unknown location. Any normal human being in this situation might start to worry, anxious about where they'd end up. However, in this moment I didn't have a care in the world as I placed all my trust in his hands. We walked for a minute or two, taking slow and careful steps, pausing once or twice as I stumbled on a rock or tripped on a fallen branch. Finally, we stopped and I assumed we had reached our destination.

"Okay, keep your eyes closed," Howard instructed as he slowly peeled his hands away from my eyes. I released a breath as the contact between us broke, finding myself sorely missing his hands once they had left me. "Are they still closed?"

"Yes Howard, they're closed," I laughed, still managing to roll my eyes at his comment despite the fact my lids were squeezed tightly shut. Contact between us was quickly re-established as he slipped his hand into mine, moving to stand beside me as he gently adjusted the direction I was facing.

"Okay," He finally spoke, squeezing my fingers in his as his thumb rubbed small circles over the back of my hand. "Open your eyes."

I blinked as my eyes flicked open, slowly adjusting to the view before me as I released a tiny gasp, a small smile tugging at the corners of my lips. I struggled to find words as I observed the view before us, the world falling into silence apart from the low rumble of rushing water. A towering waterfall stood just ahead, its white-water cascading down a series of rocky outcrops, giving the effect of many waterfalls rather than just one. It wasn't the gentle sort of waterfall you might find trickling slowly through a forest, or decorating a stately garden. It was the kind where torrents of water poured over rocks with a purpose, rushing to the ground and exploding into a blinding mist. It was beautiful and awe inspiring, but not in the conventional sense of the word, more in the way that exuded power and demanded respect. I turned to Howard, offering him a small and curious smile, his eyes locked on mine.

"Passaic River Great Falls." He announced as he observed the rushing waters.

"It's amazing," I muttered, before cocking my head inquisitively. "Why did you bring me here Howard?" I enquired as he took another small sip of his drink, staring ahead of him wistfully as he responded.

"The waterfall reminds me of you," I frowned in confusion at the sentiment, arching my brow as I urged him to explain in more detail. He grinned, turning his attention to me before continuing, "mesmerizingly beautiful, but if you don't treat it with the respect it deserves, it's likely to kill you painfully."

I barked out a laugh at his comment, blushing at the compliment yet thoroughly amused by the grimace that accompanied the second part of his sentence. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear with my free hand, sub-consciously squeezing his fingers in my other one.

"You're damn right," I chuckled, eyeing the flask in his hand before snatching it from his grasp and taking a swig. I winced as the sweet liquid burnt my throat, warming my body as it descended. He shot me a frown before he grinned, taking the flask back with a nod as I offered it.

"Come on." He tugged at my hand, nodding his head towards the crest of the waterfall, pulling me along behind him. I followed cautiously, glancing anxiously over the steep edge only a few feet away from us. With my attention focused on the deadly drop beside us, it took me a moment to notice that Howard's hand had slipped from mine as he rushed forward, hopping up onto a precariously balanced rock that teetered dangerously close to the edge. My eyes widened as I observed him, swigging happily from his flask as he peered over the edge.

"You should see the view from up here Eve." He announced, grinning widely at me as he pointed to the drop below him.

"I think I'd rather stay over here actually," My tone was cautious as I tracked his every wobble and step with a hawk-like gaze. "Perhaps you should come down..." I suggested, holding out my hand towards him and beckoning for him to abandon his balancing act in lieu of slightly safer territory.

"Don't be such a bore Eve," He groaned, taking another step forwards, causing the rock to emit a low groan and crack as a few loose pebbles escaped over the edge, disappearing into the mist below. "Didn't peg you as the type to be afraid of heights."

"It isn't so much the height as it is the painful death if you fall... Howard please get down from there." I practically demanded at this point, flinching as the boulder wobbled slightly under his weight.

"I didn't realise my safety was of such paramount concern to you Evelyn," I frowned, placing a hand on my hip with a huff at his cheeky smirk, "It's nice to know you care."

"Actually, if you tumbled to your death it would just pose a lot of questions as to why we were here together in the middle of the night," I explained nonchalantly, "and quite frankly the newspapers would have a field day." He threw his head back with a laugh, stumbling over his own feet as he unintentionally approached the very edge. My heart leapt in my chest as I rushed forwards, wrapping my hand around his arm and tugging him off his feet just as the boulder teetered and tumbled over the crest, crashing into the stormy waters below. He tumbled ungracefully towards me, toppling us both over as we landed in a heap on the damp grass. I breathed a sigh of relief as he rolled away from me with a low whistle, before flopping back onto the grass with a grin. I pulled myself into a seated position, turning and shooting Howard a stern glare as he watched me sheepishly. A grin slowly stretched across his face as he pulled himself up to sit beside me.

"That was a close call." He muttered to himself as I shot daggers in his direction. "Evelyn Moore, my hero." He gushed, placing his hand over mine with a dramatic sigh. I ripped my hand out from beneath his, climbing angrily to my feet and marching away from him. I heard a quite scuffle from behind as he undoubtedly stumbled ungracefully to his feet in pursuit. I'd only made it a few metres when he caught up, grasping my hand and tugging me back towards him to halt my departure.

"Eve, wait I'm sorry!" He pleaded with me as I maintained my position facing away from him. He pulled on my hand, urging me to face him which, reluctantly, I finally did. As I turned he slid his other hand into my free one, using his thumbs to smooth soothing patterns over their backs and watching me carefully. I glared at his attempts to distract me from his reckless behaviour, offering no response to his apology. "I'm an idiot and I'd have fallen to my death without you."

"Yes, that's correct." I replied simply, my expression conveying how utterly furious I was at that moment, a hint of the concern I attempted to bury fighting for place. "If you ever do something like that again..." I started, pausing as I struggled to finish my sentence.

"Is my wellbeing really such a concern to you? I didn't realise you cared." He smirked, before my warning glare told him it was not the time for jokes.

"Of course it is Howard, and of course I care." I snapped, my anger taking even me by surprise as I quickly checked myself, reining in my temper as I took a breath. "You may be an insufferable idiot, but I'd rather you weren't dead." He smiled softly at this, my outburst not fazing him in the slightest as he wrapped an arm over my shoulder, leading me closer towards the waterfall before guiding me to the floor and taking a seat beside me. We sat in silence for a while, listening to the low rumble of the water below us, both in our own minds.

"I'm sorry," The quiet comment from beside me took me by surprise, my head turning to meet his apologetic eyes. I watched him carefully, noting the sincerity in his tone and the concern in his eyes as he spoke.

"It's okay." I replied simply, resting my hand over his with a sigh. My words seemed to sate his worries as he breathed a sigh of relief. I arched a brow at him before continuing. "But if you ever do something like that again, I will kill you myself."

"Oh, I don't doubt that." He grinned, his attention on our hands as he entwined his fingers in mine, running his touch over every surface as though mapping them out in his mind in case he never touched me again. I watched him for a moment, enjoying his gentle touch before a glint on my wrist caught my attention, prompting me to check my watch.

"Howard, it's almost 5am," I laughed, realising that we must have spent more time here than we'd anticipated. Clearly time flies when you're babysitting a drunken Howard Stark. He glanced at his own watch curiously before examining the sky above us, a terrifyingly devious smirk stretching across his lips, an idea that I would most likely hate forming in his mind. I narrowed my eyes, leaning back and crossing my arms over my chest.

"Whatever you're thinking, I am not interested." I warned as he climbed to his feet, offering his hand to me.

"C'mon Eve, I wanna show you one more thing, I promise you'll love it." I watched him warily, pausing for a moment in consideration before taking his hand and allowing him to pull me to my feet. I followed him back to the car, heading for the driver's seat before a hand fell onto my shoulder halting me.

"I'll drive this time," He insisted, rolling his eyes at my pointed look towards his hip flask, quickly passing it to me in an attempt at reassurance. "I'm fine Eve, I can drive." He made a dramatic show out of walking in a straight line, not stumbling once as he shot me a proud smirk. I finally relented, climbing into the passenger seat and stowing the flask safely in my jacket pocket.

We spent the second half of our drive in silence, quiet contemplation distracting both our minds as Howard delivered us to our next destination and I took advantage of the flask I still had in my possession. I found myself enjoying the sweet liquid far more than I probably should have. I slouched back in my seat, my head lolling to the side as I watched him carefully, a million thoughts fighting for place at the forefront of my mind. I recalled his hand in mine, the pleasant buzz I felt in my bones at our contact, as much as I tried to fight it. I wanted to deny that I felt anything, ignoring the fact that my stomach fluttered excitedly every time he looked at me. But it wasn't a frantic flutter like when you're stepping into the unknown. It was the calm flutter of a butterflies' wings as it rose with absolute certainty, carrying itself high into the sky with ease and surety. As much as I hated to admit it, the only time I felt at home here in America was when I was with him, and that thought alone was enough to terrify me. I tried to remind myself of who he was, what he was. His dalliances were notorious, more often than not gracing the pages of the morning papers, accompanied by a photo of him with a woman on his arm. Never the same woman, I noted. The thought of Howard committing to anything in his life seemed hard to believe, and tied a nervous knot in my stomach as I realised how close we had gotten in such a short time. Yet sitting here right now, watching the quiet contemplation on his face as he studied the road, the way the corner of his lips quirked every now and then, it was hard to believe he could do any wrong. I occupied myself with studying his face, learning every tick and movement. He knew I was watching him, I could tell by the way his eyes flicked in my direction every now and then, yet I continued to stare.

"And you say I'm distracting." He muttered with the ghost of a smile, his tongue darting out to lick his lips. While I wasn't drunk, I couldn't deny the slight buzz that was casting a light haze over my mind.

"I don't think you're as transparent as people think," I mumbled thoughtfully, my face remaining placid as he arched an eyebrow in my direction with a hum of questioning, "They all think they know you, but they don't."

"And what about you Eve, do you know me?" He asked quietly, no hint of a joke in his tone. I considered his question for a moment before replying.

"I think I'm starting to." He turned his head to me, scanning my face for any sign of sarcasm or teasing, though there was none. He turned back to the road, saying no more on the subject as we both fell back into our routine of silent reverie.

I perked up as the car began to slow, pulling myself up in my seat as we passed through large iron gates, approaching the towering mansion ahead of us. I scanned our surroundings, attempting to process where we were as we rolled to a stop. Howard was out of his seat in a flash, opening my door before I had a chance to get my bearings. I took the offered hand and climbed out of the vehicle, marvelling at the stone walls that climbed high above us. A sudden moment of clarity brought realisation as we climbed the wide stone steps to the front door.

"Is this..." I started before I was cut off.

"Welcome to Stark Mansion." Howard announced with a proud grin as he reached out and unlocked the doors before swinging them open with a light push.

"Howard Stark what did I tell you..." I warned with a glare, to which he only smiled.

"Evelyn Moore, will you stop complaining for once in your life and just trust me." He ordered, forcing me into silence as I clenched my teeth together, biting back any comments I'd been ready to make. I stopped at the door, offering a reproachful glare before breathing a sigh and following him cautiously into the house.

My lips parted, releasing a stunned breath as I scanned my surroundings. I don't think I'd ever been in such a beautiful building in my life, the walls adorned with expensive paintings and lavish decorations. I paused in what I assumed was the entrance foyer, despite the fact it was larger than my entire living room back home. I noticed how he watched me curiously, amused by how stunned I had been upon entering.

"Eve," He called, tearing me from my thoughts as I turned to him, "Come on." I strolled towards him, taking his outstretched hand and letting him lead me through the double doors ahead of us. We were met with the most beautiful and grand staircase I'd ever laid eyes on, forcing an impressed smile onto my lips.

"Mr Stark I didn't expect..." A new voice startled me slightly as a man entered the room behind us, quickly pausing as he noticed my presence.

"Jarvis," Howard spoke with a smile, "This is Agent Evelyn Moore with the SSR." He introduced me with a hint of pride in his eyes, brandishing a hand in my direction as he spoke, before turning to me. "Evelyn this is Edwin Jarvis, my butler."

I smiled politely as he took a few steps towards us, offering his hand with a nod of his head. I reached out to him, shaking his hand firmly before taking a step back.

"It's lovely to meet you Mr Jarvis." I forced down my nerves as I greeted him, highly aware of how this situation must seem to him. My confidence faltered for a moment as I noted his unusually calm expression, remembering that this kind of situation probably wasn't all too uncommon for him to encounter.

"And you Agent Moore, I've heard a lot about you." He explained and I laughed nervously.

"Please, call me Evelyn, and I didn't realise Howard had so much to say about me." I shot an inquisitive look at Howard as he coughed nervously. I didn't miss the stern look he sent Jarvis before speaking.

"Oh, yes he has a lot to say..." He started before reining in his comments under Howard's glare. "Only good things of course."

"Okay, wonderful, Jarvis you don't need to worry about us you can just, go back to doing whatever you do at 5:30am." Howard spoke hurriedly, slipping his fingers into mine and tugging me along behind him as he ascended the stairs. I shot an amused look over my shoulder at the butler, offering a quick wave before we disappeared up the stairs and out of sight. I followed him closely through the never-ending maze of hallways, feeling certain that I wouldn't be able to find my way back on my own should I try. Eventually we reached what appeared to be our destination as the door swung open and he pulled me inside.

The bedroom before us was enormous, its size equivalent to three of the bedrooms in my family home. The large four poster bed occupied a large space in the centre of the room, luxurious curtains draped around it to offer more privacy. A plush sofa sat across the room, a cosy looking throw draped over the back. I'd only taken a few steps into the room when I froze, a sudden realisation washing over me. Howard noticed my hesitation, watching me with amusement as I crossed my arms over my chest, a defiant pout pressed onto my lips.

"If I remember rightly, Howard Stark, I told you that if I ever ended up in your bedroom I would not be responsible for my actions..." I warned with a frown, adding emphasis to his name, practically spitting out the words as I refused to move further into the space.

"Yes, I do believe that's what you said." Howard confirmed with a thoughtful nod, rolling his eyes as I continued to glare. "Eve, please just let go for one night, I wanna show you something that I know you'll love."

I remained firmly planted place as he watched me, waiting for a response. When I didn't relent, he moved forward, gently prying my arms from around my body, sliding his hands down their length and coming to a stop where they fit perfectly in mine. I sighed, still unsure but allowing his charming smile to force my feet to carry me forward, only coming to a stop when we were beside the large bay window that covered the far wall. His eyes scanned me for a moment before he reached out and pulled the curtains back, revealing the view behind them.

The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon, the dark night sky replaced by hues of red and orange, warming the earth and the land that spread into the distance.

"What did I tell ya? Beautiful." My mind flashed back to the first time Howard and I had spent a moment alone together, side by side watching the sun dip below the horizon. This moment mirrored that one, though I was much more appreciative of it this time, less irritated by my company than I was previously. A hand brushed past my ear, moving my hair behind my shoulder before trailing down my neck, catching my attention as I turned to my left. Time felt as though it had ground to a halt as I met Howard's eyes. I sucked in a thick breath, noting the way his lips parted slightly as he analysed me, stepping forward to close the space between us as his fingers entwined with mine and urged me closer. My breath had frozen in my lungs as the space between us decreased, only a few inches now left between our faces.

I swallowed thickly. What the hell was I doing. My brain leapt into panic mode, forcing me to take a step back, breaking our contact and shaking my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts. This wasn't me, this wasn't something I did, especially not with a man like Howard Stark. A sudden feeling of disappointment welled up in me, but not disappointment with Howard. I was disappointed in myself. The fact that I'd even allowed myself to end up here was shameful enough, and there was no way I would let this advance to the stage which I'm sure Howard was used to. Once I'd acknowledged my disappointment, a whole new emotion took over. Anger. I was angry, furious that he would think so low of me to believe that I would do something like this. Clearly, he didn't know me at all. I realised that I had to say something, the silence between us stretching on for too long as he observed me cautiously, not even flinching out of fear of provoking me. I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but thankfully my mouth decided for me.

"I won't let myself become another one of your disposable women," I hadn't meant for the words to come out as hostile as they had, but my mouth had started now and it would have been a miracle if I'd been able to stop it. "I'm not going to become another name on your list so that the papers have a scandalous story to write in the morning. I have far more respect for myself than that, and I know that a self-respecting woman isn't something you encounter frequently, but I have worked too hard to earn respect as a woman in a man's world and I'll be damned if I throw it away for a night of frivolities with someone who doesn't know the meaning of the word." My speech trailed off into silence as I worked to slow my breathing. We stood facing each other, both processing what I had just said as I watched his expression. I had expected anger, I'd expected some sort of comment about how annoyed and offended he was. I'd expected him to demand I leave his home and never speak to him again. What I hadn't expected was the defeated and pained look that flashed in his eyes, his brow furrowed as he watched me with a sadness that I'd never thought him capable of.

"Really Eve, is that what truly you think of me?" His voice ranged between disbelief and hurt, my gaze cast downward for a moment before reconnecting with his. I offered no more than a half-hearted shrug, unwilling to deny it yet feeling my guilt rise at the dismayed expression on his face. He reached out, taking my hands in his before I could move away, using my momentary lack of certainty to his advantage as he coaxed me closer. "You are a great many things Evelyn Moore, but you are NOT disposable, and you could never be just a name on a list because you are worth so much more than that. You don't think I see that? You don't think I understand how completely and utterly different you are to any woman I've ever laid eyes on? Remember the first day we met, in Colonel Phillips' office when you stood up there and delivered the most empowering speech I've ever heard." His words were soft, yet carried a stern edge that I couldn't ignore. I pulled my lower lip between my teeth, nodding slowly as the corner of his mouth tugged up in a small smile. "I'd never been more impressed and terrified of a woman in my life." I laughed at this, bowing my head with a sigh.

"You think I don't respect you? Evelyn all I have is respect for you. You've fought tooth and nail to be where you are today and you don't let anyone stand in your way of getting better. You're beautiful. My god, you are so beautiful, but you are also so much more than that, and that's why I can't stay away from you. You lured me in with that pretty face and dazzling smile and then hit me with this fiery, sarcastic personality which has, on many an occasion, proved to be more than a match for me. And trust me, that's somethin'." He'd released one of my hands at this point, moving it to brush my hair behind my ear whilst I stood, stunned into silence at his words. "You confuse me, you captivate me and you damn well terrify me, and that's what keeps me coming back. Don't let my actions tonight confuse you into thinking I'd ever be satisfied by one night with you Eve. I need every minute of every day, for the rest of my life."

The air was still between us, neither of us daring to breathe as we both processed what he'd said, the look on his face telling me that he was just as surprised by his words as I was. I wanted to argue, I wanted to disagree, listing off all the ways in which he would most probably break my heart. Yet I remained silent. Unable to accept any of those things as the truth after what he'd just said. I was uncharacteristically calm, considering the situation. The trembling in my hands had ceased, and the frantic thumping of my heart had slowed, giving way to that calm fluttering sensation I had become all too familiar with. He looked so innocent in this light, the rising sun casting a warm glow across his cheeks which seemed to wash away his past. My body had moved before my brain even processed what I was doing, quickly closing the space between us as my palms pressed against his chest. Our lips met gently, leaving Howard stunned frozen for a few seconds before he caught up, one of his arms snaking around my waist as his other hand tangled into my hair, smoothing gentle paths over my scalp. He quickly grew accustomed to the contact, moving his lips slowly over mine, savouring the moment as he succeeded in eliciting a quiet hum from my throat.

The moment was over faster than either of us wanted, breaking contact to suck in a much-needed breath. While we may have parted in one way, we remained in each other's arms, Howard holding me close as his heart hammered in his chest beneath my hands. Our faces had paused only inches from each other, my eyes still squeezed shut as I savoured the moment that I had convinced myself would never come. His hand slipped from my hair and pressed its warmth against my cheek causing me to sigh, my eyes fluttering open to meet his.

"Does this mean you finally trust me now?" He queried with a hopeful smirk.

"Not even a little bit." I grinned, sliding my hands up his chest to wrap my arms around his neck. I rested my head against his shoulder, my face pressed into his neck, breathing in the familiar cologne which clouded my mind. His right arm remained snaked around my waist as his left trailed up my back, coming to a stop tangled in my hair at the back of my head. He sighed as he held me tight against him.

"Your sudden changes in mood are starting to make me dizzy."

"Shut up Howard." My words were muffled into his neck, a low chuckle rumbling through his chest as he tightened his arms around me, leaning forward to place a kiss into my hair before resting his head on mine.

 **Yassssss. That is all I have to say. I hope you enjoyed this nice cute chapter of loveliness because, as with all good love stories, it ain't gonna last. Don't forget to review and whatnot, I'm really getting no feedback at all for this story and it's so demotivating! Pls guys, u gotta give me somethin. We're just getting started ;) - E.H.**


	8. Chapter 8

The ride back to camp was just as quiet as the rest of our time spent in the car together. However, this time our minds weren't occupied with 'what if's' or hurried glances. As a matter of fact, my mind wasn't occupied at all, a blank slate as I watched the world fly by with a peaceful smile. I don't think our hands had left each other's for even a moment since leaving his house, mine resting gently atop his where it had remained fixed on my knee for the duration of the journey. When I had myself convinced of my distaste for being stuck in a car with Howard, it had dragged. Yet now, when I wanted to be nowhere else, it flew by, with us arriving back at camp in record time despite his excessively slow speed. It was just about 7:30am when we pulled through the gates of Camp Lehigh, both of us cursing our timing as the curious eyes of both the recruits and their drill sergeants on their morning exercises acknowledged our arrival, accompanied by quiet whispers and raised eyebrows. I dropped my head into my hands with a sighed laugh.

"Well I suppose there's no chance of worming our way out of this one," Howard commented with a smile that conveyed far too much pleasure for my liking.

"I don't know, I can be a pretty convincing liar when I need to be..." My response caused him to frown, not amused by the thought of me denying what had happened between us. I rolled my eyes, waving away his concerns with a wink and a quick squeeze of his hand. "I'm not going to deny or confirm anything."

"How diplomatic of you," He laughed, the car steering away from the training soldiers to offer us some sort of privacy before we rolled to a stop. I licked my lips nervously, nipping at the skin with my teeth as the engine died and we fell into silence. I could practically feel his eyes burning into my skin as he waited for me to speak, or move, or do anything at all. Finally, he released a sigh, wringing his hands on the steering wheel before glancing at me.

"I understand that kissing me can be extremely overwhelming, but you're gonna have to speak eventually." I let my eyes flutter closed as I sighed out a laugh, opening them to find and reclaim his hand before twisting in my seat.

"You know, I promised myself that I would never allow myself to fall for your charming ways." I explained quietly, playing with his fingers to distract myself. "Clearly I'm weaker than I thought." He frowned at my words, moving his free hand to hook a finger under my chin, forcing me to raise my eyes to meet his. He shook his head with a sincere smile.

"I don't think that makes you weak Evelyn, I think that makes you brave." His words held a commanding surety, succeeding, as usual, in convincing me that he was right and I was wrong.

"Or perhaps I'm just a complete idiot and this will all come back to bite me in the ass." I shrugged nonchalantly before allowing a smirk to creep onto my face.

"Yeah you're probably right." He agreed easily, removing his hand from my chin and sliding out of the car before I had a chance to respond. My mouth gawped as I choked out a laugh, quickly following his lead and hopping out of the passenger seat, slamming the door behind me. I marched towards him brandishing a finger in his direction as he raised his hands in defeat, taking a few cautious steps back, his signature devilish grin on his lips.

"I'd be careful what I say if I were you, Howard Stark," I warned, narrowing my eyes as the wall of the closest building halted his retreat, allowing me to close the space between us. "I'm sure I could make your death look like an accident." His eyes widened slightly at my threat before he chuckled, reaching out and grabbing my hand which was currently jabbing a finger into his chest, using his new grip to tug me towards him. I stumbled forward, his actions taking me by surprise as I crashed into his chest, leaving only inches between our faces.

"I'm not scared of you, Evelyn Moore," He leaned forward, whispering into my ear, his warm breath tickling at the hair which hung there. I gasped slightly at the sudden contact, my wrist still firmly encircled by his hand. Two could play at that game. I took advantage of our closeness, decreasing the space yet again and allowing my lips to momentarily brush his cheek. I bit back a devious smirk as I felt him shudder against me.

"A smart man would be terrified." I whispered, my words laced with poisonous warning as I slowly moved my face in line with his, our noses brushing slightly as his lips parted in hungry desire. I quickly tore my wrist from his hand, lightly shoving him away as I stepped back. He stumbled slightly under the gentle force of my push, his back hitting the wall behind him as mild shock plastered his features. A delighted laugh escaped my mouth as I spun on my heel, offering a stunned Howard a satisfied wink and a brief wave over my shoulder as I strode confidently away from him.

"You're a cruel women Evelyn!" He called after me once he had regained his senses. I shrugged him off with a frown as he attempted to throw an arm over my shoulder, nudging my elbow gently into his ribs as we were spotted by none other than Colonel Phillips and Peggy Carter.

"Agent Moore, how nice of you to finally join us." The Colonel announced with a slightly irked tone, yet I didn't miss the way his eyes flicked between Howard and I as the corners of his mouth twitched ever so slightly upwards. My eyes widened slightly as I fought to ignore the quiet yet amused chuckle from beside me. "If I could speak to you in private for a moment?"

I faltered in my step, not that anyone noticed apart from me, my moment of panic expertly masked. I didn't trust my mouth to speak, and so settled with offering him a tight nod as I followed him away from the curious eyes of Peggy and Howard. A million possible responses began playing over in my head as I worried he would call me out for fraternising with a co-worker. My overly anxious mind began scolding me for my actions, telling me how stupid I was and how he was about to fire me on the spot. Of course, my brain was being ridiculous and that absolutely wasn't the reason for this private talk. The real reason however, wasn't that much more favourable.

"I'm assigning you as the head of your own SSR task-force," The Colonel explained, not hesitating to get to the point. "You'll oversee a group of five male, and three female agents heading a covert intelligence operation."

I was stunned into silence, unable to do much more than nod in understanding as he spoke, my excitement and complete surprise clouding my brain. My sudden dumbstruck expression didn't appear to faze him as he continued to speak.

"You'll be working closely alongside both the 107th and British 56th infantries, with whom you'll be stationed in Italy. You'll be shipping out from the New York Harbour at eleven hundred hours, so you have free time now to pack your things." His last comment broke through the daze that had overcome me.

"That's in 3 hours?" I queried, the news of such a sudden departure coming as a surprise.

"I apologise for the last-minute warning, but the decision was made early this morning." He explained and I nodded in understanding. Now that the initial shock had passed, I could finally comprehend the news I had been given. I'd be heading my own team, in charge of eight other agents as we embarked on a special covert intelligence mission. As well as being utterly terrified of the prospect, I was flattered, and extremely proud of myself for working as hard as I had and allowing myself to reach this point. I grinned, pride radiating from me.

"Thank you, Colonel Phillips, I promise I won't let you down." He nodded in agreement, one of his rare smiles gracing his lips.

"I know you won't. Now, go pack your bags, the car will be meeting you here at the gates exactly two hours from now," He explained, taking a step away from me before pausing and glancing thoughtfully back over his shoulder. "And maybe you and Stark could try to be a bit less obvious next time." My eyes widened at his blunt comment and I nodded quickly, choking out a terrified laugh once he was out of hearing range.

I didn't move for a few moments, still attempting to process the news before I could even think about moving. I was flattered, absolutely honoured to have been chosen for something like this. The pride I felt in myself in that moment was incredible, everything I'd ever worked for. However, there was a seed of doubt. It sat heavily in my stomach and twisted my insides in a way I'd never experienced before. As much as I hated to say it I knew exactly what that feeling was.

I'd never been good at saying goodbye, and I'd had to say it a lot recently. I said goodbye to my friends and colleagues when I'd finished my last day at the SOE; I'd say goodbye to my sister and my parents when I'd boarded the ship headed for America. I said goodbye to my brother for what I hadn't realised would be the last time before he sailed away from me with a salute. And now I had to do it again. I had to say goodbye to Howard. I had to admit, the Colonel's timing was impeccably bad considering the night I'd just had. I glanced back over my shoulder to see Howard and Peggy laughing together. I'd have to say goodbye to her too. Although I'm sure I'd be seeing her in no time. At least I hoped I would be. Peggy and I had said our goodbyes far too many times for my liking, so I would prefer to avoid another.

I sucked in a breath, closing my eyes and steeling myself for what was to come. My feet felt heavy as I crossed the space between us, offering both of them a smile as I stopped before them.

"Peg…" I began, but was quickly hushed.

"I already know," She smiled at me, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder before sending me a nod. "I'll leave you two alone." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Howard and I alone once again.

"What was that all about?" He enquired, a brow raised in curiosity. When I didn't answer immediately he continued. "Eve, is everything okay?"

I turned my gaze to him, watching his face as he eyed me curiously. His expression betrayed a worry that he couldn't mask, a anxiety that sat heavily in the creases around his eyes, weighing him down. I suppose it would be better to rip the band aid off than drag this out.

"I'm leaving." My words were simple and blunt, accompanied by a sad smile.

"What do you mean you're leaving? Where are you going?" He frowned, slipping his hand into mine and tracing small circles with his thumb.

"England first, and then Italy. Apparently I'm heading my very own special operations task force. It's quite the honour."

"Wow, Eve that's amazing!" his lips quickly pulled up into a grin, his anxious frown a thing of the past. I offered a small nod in response, my eyes cast down at the ground.

"It's a surprise i'm still terrible at saying goodbye… you'd think I'd be great at it by this point." To my surprise, he simply laughed, using his grip on my hand to pull me towards him and wrap me in a tight hug. I stepped back, breathing a laugh at he shook his head.

"You really think this is goodbye Eve?" I shrugged, still feeling slightly dejected despite his chipper attitude. "You can't get rid of me that easily. You'll be seeing me soon don't you worry."

His certainty almost immediately put me at ease, his thumbs still tracing delicate circles over the backs of my hands as he watched me closely. I breathed out a soft laugh, glancing up at him through my lashes.

"You'd better not forget about me whilst I'm gone… or the Germans will be the least of your worries."

He tipped his head back with a hearty laugh, closing his hands around mine and pulling me towards him. I welcomed the hug, letting myself sink into him as his arms locked me against him. I had to savour this moment, as who knows when I would get to see him again. It could be weeks, months… I couldn't allow myself to imagine longer than that, our of fear I might decline the offer entirely. I felt him press a light kiss onto the top of my head, coaxing a smile as he released me from his grasp.

"Evelyn Moore… you're unforgettable." My lips pulled up into a playful smirk as I offered him a nonchalant shrug.

"So I've heard."

I knew it wouldn't be goodbye. If there was one thing I knew for certain about Howard Stark, it was that come hell or high waters, he wouldn't relent until he had what he wanted. Somehow that had become me. In such a short time without either of us realising, and certainly without either of us planning it, something had blossomed. Whether that thing thrived or died out was yet to be seen, though we could only wait with quiet hope.

Three hours had passed by in a blur whilst I'd busied myself packing my bags. It was a strange feeling leaving camp Lehigh. Though i'd only been here a few months, it had felt like a lifetime. I recalled back to my first day arriving here, the messy flirtation of the soldiers and the regimented routines I'd fallen prey to. I loved it. It was strange to call a place like this home, and it wasn't, but it was as good as considering the circumstances. I felt a curious sense of pride when I thought about the men we had trained, that we had shaped into the soldiers they now were. A pang of regret hit me as I realised what was next for them, and for me. A few of the men I had trained had been assigned to the 107th, and so would be joining me on the journey to England, then Italy. Obviously, one of those men was Hodge. Typical really. Though he wasn't nearly as arrogant and irritating as he had been when we'd first met. It's funny how mutual respect can change a person. I'd seen it very clearly in Hodge, and the way he now acted towards myself and other women on the camp. He was still a ladies man and a brute, that would never change, but at least he was a fraction more considerate now.

I finished my packing, placing the last few items into my bag and closing it shut before taking a breath. I allowed myself a quick glance around the room I had spent my nights in for the past few months, relishing in the memories it had created. Such as the time Peggy had helped me choose my outfit for Howard and I's 'not' date. Or the time I had begun sleepwalking and tripped over the vanity, jolting Peg awake and practically startling her out of her skin. I'd always been good at saying goodbye to a place, leaving it behind with only the memories to carry with me. A soft smile crept onto my lips as I nodded to myself, affirming that I was ready to leave. Turning on my heel, I swept out of the door.

My bags had been loaded up in the car for me by a few very helpful soldiers before they climbed into their own truck. It seemed I was being given some special treatment, travelling in my own car. This is something I could get used to. I'd just finished thanking the men when a cough from behind me requested my attention.

"Ma'am," I turned to meet Hodge, who currently offered me the perfect salute. My lips pulled into a smirk at his formality.

"At ease soldier," I chuckled, shooting him a warm smile, which he reciprocated along with a curt nod.

"Ma'am, I just wanted to thank you for what you've done for us while we've been here," I was slightly taken aback by the sincerity of his statement, non-the-less enjoying the praise. "Also, I wanted to let you know that a lot of us guys are thrilled that you'll be coming along with us to Italy... I get the feeling we could really use someone like you alongside us in what's to come."

My pleasure was tainted slightly by the thought of what was to come, something I had managed to avoid thinking about until now. Though, I wouldn't let that thought sully this rare moment.

"You're very Welcome Hodge, I was just doing my job. And as for Italy, I think I might be glad to have you boys there too, we're going to need to stick together if we want to make it through this."

He nodded solemnly, glancing over his shoulder quickly as his name was called. He shot me one more salute, an action I mirrored, before he turned on his heel and climbed aboard the truck alongside his fellow comrades. Typically, he didn't forget to shoot me a quick wink before their truck began to pull away, slipping through the camp gates and beginning on its way. A small sigh escaped me as I watched them go. I couldn't let myself be distracted by the thoughts of what would surely happen to them once we got to Italy. There was no way we would win this war if we went in expecting to lose, and plus, I had more faith in our boys than that. My attention was quickly diverted once again as a hand came to rest on my arm. I turned to meet Howard's slightly anxious yet still grinning face.

"Now where's my goodbye, huh Moore?"

"I thought this wasn't goodbye...?" I chuckled, raiding a brow as I referenced his earlier words. He rolled his eyes at my nit-pickiness, turning me to face him before brushing his fingers over my ear.

"Then how about farewell." He spoke quietly, a soft sincerity to his tone that had my breath hitching in my throat. I had kissed him before I'd even realised it, allowing just a soft touch between our lips before I pulled away. Any more than that and I think I would have dragged my bags from the car and refused to leave. I watched him carefully as he digested the action, his lips slightly parted as his eyes fluttered open. I think perhaps this was the first time a woman had kissed him with something other than lust, and that it had surprised him about as much as it surprised me. I took a few small steps back, a gentle smile in his direction as I headed for my car.

It took him a few moments to regain his senses, digging in his pockets before calling out to me,

"Eve!" I turned back from the car, the open door ready for me to climb in. "Catch."

I cocked my head slightly as he threw something towards me, thankful of my quick reflexes as I caught the object easily. I felt the cold metal against my skin as I turned it over in my hands. I smiled as I recognised the flask Howard and I had been sipping from only a few hours prior to now.

"I get the feeling you're gonna need it more than me," He smirked with a small shrug. _Yes, I too get that feeling..._

"Farewell Howard Stark." I stashed the flask in my pocket as I shot my most dazzling smile over my shoulder, blowing him a quick kiss before I slid into the car and closed the door behind me. I sunk into my seat, releasing a breath I hadn't realised I was holding, and settling in for my next adventure.


	9. Chapter 9

It was hard to believe that just a few hours ago I was wrapped tightly in Howard's arms, feeling hopeful that something in my life might finally work out. Now, as I sped across the New Jersey countryside, camp Lehigh and everything I'd known for the past few months falling into the distance, I felt alone. This was nothing new, I'd felt alone before. I felt alone when my father had died. I felt alone when a knock came at the door, followed swiftly by my mother's cries as she realised she would never see her son again, and I would certainly feel alone many more times in my life. But this time was different, because I knew I was wrong. I wasn't alone. Though they may soon be far across the oceans, the people I cared for would never leave my side, nothing truly. I'd never truly be alone again.

The journey to England was incredibly uneventful to say the least. Once I had arrived at the New York Harbour, everything seemed to go by in a blur. I was quickly ushered towards the waiting ship, my luggage carried from the car to the gangway where I was promptly abandoned with vague directions to my cabin. Admittedly it had taken longer than it should have for me to find my room, but the suddenness of the whole situation had thrown me a little, leaving me in somewhat of a daze. I'd spent an unnecessary amount of time sitting on my bed trying to wrap my head around everything, paying little attention to the noises of the ship around me. After my bum started to feel numb and my brain had run out of thoughts, I eventually dragged myself from my room, deciding that, after those few hours of stasis, a bit of fresh air and a roam around would be good for me. A fifteen day boat journey wouldn't be tolerable if I locked myself in my room the entire time.

I was surprised to find that the fifteen days flew by, the hours filled occupying myself with strolls around the ship, brief passing conversations with some of the soldiers on board and meetings with the team I had unexpectedly become the leader of. If there was one thing I had learned from this, it was that Italy was going to be some of the hardest work I had ever done. I'd never been one to shy away from responsibility, taking any opportunity to prove I could handle any situation. However in this case, the decisions I made directly correlated with men's lives. That put the pressure on just a little bit. I'd tried to push this aspect of the job from my mind, focusing instead on how my Taskforce would do everything within their power to help our boys win this fight. We would win this fight.

I awoke the morning of our last day at sea, roused by the excited chatter coming from the hallways and neighbouring cabins. There could only be one explanation for this kind of excitement. We had arrived.

I quickly hopped from my sheets, throwing on my uniform and tidying up my hair and face before slipping out of my compartment. I had already packed by bags before I went to sleep the previous night, anticipating that it might be an early start. I slipped through the hallways, offering anyone I passed a curt nod and a smile, receiving more than one 'Ma'am' or 'Agent Moore' in response. It seemed everyone knew who I was around here. It also seemed that talk of Howard and I's... I still wasn't even sure what to call it, had made the rounds of the ship, with quiet chatter about the subject passing between groups. I'd quite happily ignored all talk, always finding something else to turn the conversation to, or just removing myself from the conversation entirely. I wasn't embarrassed and I certainly wouldn't deny it - not entirely - if someone asked, but I wasn't one to spill the details of my personal life to complete strangers. I struggled enough divulging it to Peggy and she's my best friend.

I reached the deck of the ship fairly quickly, rushing over to the edge to catch my first glimpse of the green fields and white cliffs that welcomed me back. Welcomed me home. I felt a rush of relief and excitement wash over me as I noticed the Port of Dover in the near distance, my chest swelling with happiness at once again seeing the shores of my home country. We were lucky enough to get almost a week here, giving us some time to relax and enjoy ourselves before we headed back out to sea. I was certainly planning on making the most of it, not wanting to waste a second of my time whilst I was here.

There was an air of excitement amongst all the passengers, soldiers and civilians alike, as we pulled into port. For most of the Americans, this was the first time they had ever stepped foot out of their homeland, which I could imagine was both exhilarating and daunting at the same time. I couldn't help but laugh at some of the conversations I overheard as we were disembarking. The tall tales being shared of British women were really something, leaving the men who didn't have a girl to go home to, excited to see if they could try their luck winning the heart of an English las. I, however, only had one plan for whilst I was back here. Homesickness had started to kick in not long after I got to America, though how busy I had been had helped immensely to quell those feelings. I had too much to do to think about that nonsense. Though now I was back here, there was nothing more I wanted than to spend some quality time with someone familiar, and I knew just the person.

Once again I'd been given my own car, which I'm sure had been instructed to take me straight to the hotel myself and my team had been put up at while we were here. The rest of the soldiers were being welcomed to the Princess Royal Barracks, in Surrey, a little while away from where the SSR was stationed in the centre of London. I had to admit that I was nervous, heading right into the centre of the action, into the bullseye of the target. But I pushed those fears aside. I was British. We wouldn't let a little thing like German bombs get us down. I had work to do and wouldn't let that scare me into incompetence. While the rest of my team seemed to be making the most of their time off, spending the evening in whatever was the closest bar, drinking away their worries, I had other plans.

I bid farewell to my comrades, politely declining their offer for drinks and promising that I would join them tomorrow night instead, and head off on my way to a place I knew very well. It was only a short walk before I was standing at the steps of St Bartholomew's hospital, still standing proud and strong, despite the rubble that littered the streets surrounding it and the unfortunately large hole in one of the walls. Nowhere was safe when the bombs hit. I released a sad sigh, growing weary of the destruction that followed everywhere I went. We could only hope this atrocious war would be over soon enough.

I offered muttered apologies as I slipped through the front doors, weaving through worried looking doctors and weary nurses until I found my way to some semblance of a front desk.

"Good evening," I smiled politely at the young girl who sat at the desk, fussing over a mountain of papers as she batted away a curl that had slipped from its pins and was currently bouncing around her nose. She paused her faffing, exhaling before stretching her lips into a weak smile. She couldn't have been older than 16, and the poor girl looked exhausted. Aren't we all.

"Good evening miss, is there something I can help with?" Despite her frazzled outer appearance, she was perfectly polite and friendly, just what we all needed in a time like this.

"Yes actually, I was wondering if you might be able to point me in the direction of a nurse by the name of Louisa Moore?" Her smile brightened somewhat at my question as she lifted herself from her seat, leaning over the desk and pointing towards a long corridor.

"If you head straight down that way, take a left at the surgical suite, then a right at the end of the corridor, you should find her." I nodded with thanks, heeding her directions as I prepared to make my way through the bustle of the hospital. However, I was stopped as she continued to speak.

"I like your outfit miss..." She commented, her eyes scanning over the army issued olive tailored trousers and white blouse I currently sported. It had completely slipped my mind that I had bypassed changing before coming here. "It makes you look powerful... my mother says trousers are unbecoming of a lady. Well, I think they look much more comfortable and practical than a silly skirt." I chuckled at her comment, realising that while I had started out hating the thought of dressing in such a masculine fashion, I was now much more comfortable this way than I had ever been in the plethora of dresses my mother used to force me into.

"What's your name?"

"Florence, miss."

"Well, Florence, I'll let you in on a secret. You don't need to dress or act like a man to be powerful. You just need to realise that you already are. It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not." She heeded my words quietly, nodding in agreement after she had pondered them in silence. "My mother used to tell me that there is nothing more powerful than a woman who knows her worth, and doesn't let anyone treat her as less."

She grinned back at me, clearly feeling some empowerment from my statement as she squared her shoulders and offered an appreciative nod.

"I will certainly bare that in mind miss..."

"Agent Evelyn Moore," The addition of 'agent' to my name increased her smile even more. "It was lovely to meet you Florence, thank you for the directions."

She offered her thanks and goodbyes as I set off down the hallway in search of the little sister to whom I so longed to give a big hug. It didn't take me long to find her, thanks to Florence's directions, which took me to a small ward where nurses were tending quietly to the minor injuries of civilians and soldiers alike. I quickly spotted a familiar blonde head, hair pulled into a neat chignon, framed at either side with a loose braid, a style which I was proud to say I had taught her.

"Tell me Louie... how it is you've grown this much in the few short months I've been away?" I mused from the doorway, catching her attention as she finished up with her patient and turned towards me. Her face lit up instantly, her grin matching mine as she hurried towards my position, throwing her arms around me in a tight embrace.

"Eve! My god I've missed you! What are you doing here? I thought you were in America, does mum know you're back here...?"

"One question at a time Lou," I laughed, unwrapping myself from her arms and leaning back against the doorframe. She frowned, her smile still present as she untied her apron from around her waist, folding it neatly in her hands.

"Sorry, you just took me by surprise," I relished in the sound of her voice, her laugh, her smile. God I had missed her. "What are you doing back in England?"

"How about I explain it over a couple of drinks?" I suggested with a wink, sensing that a drink might prove helpful to both of us right now, as well as helping the explanation go a bit smoother.

Give me five mines and I'm all yours darling! Meet me at the front reception." She turned on her heel, practically skipping across the ward before disappearing through the far doors, leaving me to find my way back out through the maze of corridors.

We'd ended up in a pub nearby, thankfully finding a seat within the crowded room. Who knew this many people would be spending their time at a bar. I suppose we all needed a way to drown out the chaos around us, and the bottom of a bottle was the easiest way to do so. While some of the patrons were locals, the majority were soldiers. I noticed quickly, that I recognised some of the men, various members of the 107th who must have been allowed to take the drive into London to hit up the local nightlife as a treat. I certainly didn't miss the way a lot of the men had been looking at Louisa, though a stern glare from me was all it really took to have them retreating as though I had a gun to their head. For those who recognised me, I was still their superior, and for those who didn't know my face, they had the more educated soldiers to guide them in the correct direction. My attention was pulled away from the room around me as I received a light smack to the arm.

"Stop scaring away all the handsome men and update me on your life." Louisa complained jovially, reciprocating a smile to a particularly interested soldier over my shoulder.

"Only if you stop flirting and listen." I raised a brow at her as she fluttered her lashes with an innocent shrug.

"Fine, your attention is all mine," She placed her chin into her hands and watched me carefully, "What brings you back to England?"

"Well, it's actually quite exciting news really..." I began, taking a quick sip of my drink before getting into my explanation.

"So, I was stationed at Camp Lehigh in New Jersey, where I was working with Peg and a few others on a specialised task-force."

"A task-force for what?" She interjected, her curiosity evident.

"That's classified information, little sister." I winked, earning myself an eye roll and a groan. "Anyway, I did a little extra work on a project we were tasked with, helping out Stark with a few issues he was having with some of the technology he'd created for the project..." I was forced to cease my explanation as Louisa's eyes grew wide, her hand reaching across the table to grasp mine in a vice-like grip.

"Howard Stark? You have worked with _The_ Howard Stark?!" I simply laughed at her excitement, slipping my hand from hers and stretching out my fingers from her bone crushing grasp.

"Yes, Howard and I worked together a fair amount whilst I was in America." I responded nonchalantly, not realising how I might have just dropped myself in it until I noticed Louisa's raised brow and sly smirk.

"First name basis, are we? I didn't realise you and _Howard_ were such close friends." She made sure to add extra suggestive emphasis when she spoke his name, twisting a curl in her finger as she batted her lashes, an action that only served to send my mind flashing back to Howard and the way he had played with my hair in much the same way on more than one occasion.

"We aren't close friends, we've just worked together a lot is all."

"After all these years, it still baffles me that you think I can't see right through you Eve." I rolled my eyes, wrapping my fingers around my glass and diverting my gaze so as not to give anything away. "I knew there was something different about you, I've seen that look in your eyes before."

"And, pray tell me, what look is that?"

"The same look you had when you were 14 years old and decided you had fallen madly in love with Thomas Parker, the farmer's son." I frowned, placing my glass back on the table as i shifted under her gaze. She was right, she could always see right through me, but that didn't mean I would confirm her theory.

"I wasn't in love with Thomas Parker..."

"No, but you thought you were, and every time you said his name it was like a light came on in your eyes... the exact same way it just did a moment ago." She leaned forward onto the table, forcing me to make eye contact with her despite my avoidance. "Tell me Eve, what is going on between you and Howard Stark?"

"Nothing is going on, we're just friends and colleagues," I made my response short and to the point, careful not to divulge anything through my eyes as I apparently did often.

"Oh so you _are_ friends now then...? She smirked, somehow managing to catch me out without even doing anything. I sighed, rubbing circles into my temples in despair. I couldn't hide anything from this girl.

"We are fairly close friends..." I spoke carefully, giving her the truth without any detail. I thought back to how I had convinced myself that if I were asked, I wouldn't deny. Clearly that was more difficult for me than I had thought. I think, perhaps, that I wouldn't have been this guarded if it were any other man. Howard's reputation preceded him, and any girl who thought she could mean something real to him would surely be laughed at. Maybe that was my fear. Admitting that I cared for him and that there was something going on was admitting that I trusted the least trustworthy man in America. There goes any respect I'd so far managed to cling on to.

"Okay Eve, continue to lie to me and yourself if you wish, but if you want my opinion, I think he might not be half as bad as the tabloids make him out to be." The small upturn of my lips told her that I appreciated her response.

"You know Lou... he really isn't." I responded quietly.

"I'm pleased for you Eve, it's about time you found a man who can match your confidence and cleverness."

"You always know the right thing to say."

"That's because I'm the smarter sister." She grinned, taking a sip of her drink and giggling as she swiftly avoided the napkin I had flung at her. "Anyway, we got distracted... you never did tell me why you're back in London."

"No, of course, we got a bit sidetracked there..." I shook my head, settling back into my seat as I absentmindedly ran the tip of my finger around the rim of my glass. "I've been asked to head my own specialised task-force, overseeing special operations for the SSR-"

"Wow, Eve! That's amazing, i'm so proud of you!" Louisa gawped, cutting me off as her lips stretched into a grin, patting the back of my hand in congratulations.

"In Italy..." I finished quietly, knowing that this part would be far less exciting to learn about.

"Italy...?" She questioned softly, her eyes falling to the table as she chewed at her lip. "As in, right near the front lines?"I nodded softly, understanding her concerns as she digested the new information.

"You've always had aspirations bigger than you Eve... a selfish part of me had always hoped you wouldn't achieve them. That way you would stay out of danger, but let me guess, you accepted the offer without a moment's hesitation?"

"Of course I did."

"You're braver, smarter and stronger than anyone gives you credit for, you know. That's why you're going to give those Germans hell for all of us."

"Oh don't you worry about that love, they won't know what's hit them." I shot her a wink, placing my hand comfortingly over hers in an attempt to quell her worries.

"Now, I can see a tall, dark and handsome soldier over by that bar just dying to buy you a drink. Don't let me ruin your fun, go talk to him." She glanced over her shoulder, locking eyes with the dark haired man in uniform, sending him a small smile before turning back to me.

"Perhaps I could have one drink..."

"And perhaps one dance...?" I suggested as she smirked back at me before hopping up from her seat. She spared me a quick wink over her shoulder before disappearing across the room. So here I was... alone again. Though, the fact I offered nothing less than a death glare to any man who tried to approach me was probably a contributing factor towards that. Not that I minded. As much as I tried to hide it, my heart was bound for only one.

The rest of the week in London, unfortunately, flew by just as quickly as the boat journey here had. I'd managed to get in a few more days with Louisa, even fitting in a shopping trip in which I'd used my substantially increased rate of pay to buy her a gift. A small locket held a photograph of Louisa, Charlie and myself, sitting opposite a photograph of our mother and father. She had shed a tear when I'd given it to her, making my promise that I would write to her every chance I had, letting her know I was still okay. It was harder this time, to say goodbye. Perhaps its because this time I wasn't heading to the safety of an army barracks. No, this time I was heading straight into an active war zone. I tried not to think about that, the thought of it making me panic a little every time. Though I might panic on the inside, I would never let it show. I was a leader now, I had to put forward an example to be followed. If I was quaking with fear then how could I expect anyone else to get anything done.

The morning of departure was a surprisingly warm one. I had said my goodbyes to Louisa the previous evening, ensuring my small amount of personal items were packed ready for the early start. The only thing I didn't put in my main bag was Howard's flask. I'd quickly realised that it was something I wasn't keen to let out of my grasp, opting to keep it safely stashed in my pocket at all times. I'd grown oddly fond of the small piece of metal, Howards small token of affection, or perhaps his way of saying "you can't forget about me if a part of me is stashed in your pocket." Either way, it had ended up becoming a part of me, and I couldn't bare to be without it. Perhaps it was my way of keeping him with me, until I saw him again, and I had absolutely no doubt that I would be seeing him again soon.

It had taken a good few hours to get everyone on board the ship, many feeling reluctant to head back out to sea, especially considering the sickness the ocean had given many of them the last time. I had been lucky to avoid the ill effects of the boat's movement, finding the journey ever so slightly pleasant, if still monotonous. I'd headed straight for my cabin, this time throwing my bags in and heading straight back out to the top deck. I wasn't going to miss my chance to say goodbye to England whilst I still had it. As much as I told myself that I shouldn't think it, I couldn't help but consider all the ways in which I might end up never seeing the lush rolling hills of my home country again. This is why it was important for me to say goodbye this time, just in case it might be my last chance.

I stood on that deck for longer than I realised, staring out at the rough waters long after England had faded over the horizon. The deck had begun to grow quiet as afternoon faded into evening, most retiring to their cabins and bunks to rest. I soon followed suit, ambling back along the corridors until I arrived at my room. I sat for a while, turning Howard's flask over in my hands as I examined it. I quickly noticed something I hadn't before, spotting a small engraving in the bottom right hand corner.

'H.S.'

Of course, he has his flask engraved with his initials. There was honestly nothing in this world that summed up Howard Stark more than the fact he had a monogrammed flask. Perhaps it was tiredness, or perhaps my solitude was starting to wear at my brain, but I found myself falling into a fit of laughter at the thought. I laughed until my stomach hurt and my cheeks grew tired.

I missed him. My chest ached for him. No one had ever made me feel so happy and yet so sad all at once. I changed out of my uniform, making myself comfortable and climbing into bed, the flask still clutched between my fingers. I found myself subconsciously smoothing circles into the side of the metal, the cold material warming slightly in my hand.

"Goodnight Howard." I muttered to myself as sleep began to take me, the flask still resting in my palm as I drifted off.


End file.
